• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

1

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Finance

U.S. Stocks Plummet 500 Points on Brexit

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 24, 2016, 1:16 PM ET
Trading On The Floor Of The NYSE As U.S. Stocks Tumble Amid Global Selloff After U.K. Brexit Vote
Bloomberg Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Brexit is landing a body blow to the Dow and the S&P today. And investors should feel pretty good about it.

U.S. stocks dropped on Friday as the investors digested what the effects of the U.K. leaving the European Union would mean for the U.S. economy. Of the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average, only one, Walmart (WMT) was up. Of the other 29 that were down, the worst performer was Goldman Sachs (GS), which was down nearly 5%, or $7.50 a share to $140. The next worst performer was Caterpillar, which was down nearly 4.5%.

In all, the Dow was down over 500 points by mid-day. And the S&P 500 was off 61 points, or just under 3%.

As measured in real economic terms, a Brexit news shouldn’t actually be all that bad for the U.S. The U.K. accounts for only a small portion of U.S. exports, less than 3% of the combined revenue of all of the companies in the S&P 500. Europe in general makes up a bigger portion, and the economic consequences of Brexit for the rest of the EU will likely be limited, at least in the immediate future.

But over the past few years markets and investors have tended to overreact in the short term to any alarming news, especially to big events like a Brexit. The reason has to do with financial markets. While a Brexit likely can’t cause all that much economic damage to the U.S., a drop in financial markets can, as we learned during the financial crisis. So in recent times, when there has been a whiff of trouble (and today is more than just a whiff) investors have hit the exits, concerned that a big sell off could turn a small economic problem into a big market problem, which could then generate a much bigger economic one. The feedback loop has been toxic.

And right now we should be more vulnerable to a market sell-off than usual. Stocks in the S&P 500 are at an average price-to-earnings ratio of 23 (based on Robert Shiller’s formula for normalizing earnings) compared to a historical average of 15. That, along with the shock from Brexit, would be a combo you’d think would sent stocks tumbling.

And yet while the market is falling, we’re not seeing the death spiral that all these trends might make you expect. And it comes after a number of months of pretty good stock market returns. Indeed, today’s drop has sent the market only back to where it was in mid-May—just 30 days ago. What’s more, the VIX—the stock market “fear gauge,” which measures how much people are paying for protection against future market drops—is at 22. That’s below the 28 it hit this February, and well below the high of nearly 60 it hit during the financial crisis.

Indeed, there may be some fundamental reasons for the overall lack of panic. Economic turmoil abroad will give cover for the Fed and Janet Yellen to raise rates. Companies in the U.S. that compete with the U.K. to sell goods in Europe may have an easier time. And the U.S., New York City in particular, may be able to lure back some financial jobs from firms that are pulling people out of London, though it’s more likely that those jobs would go to some other European capital.

For much of this year, there has been a question of how strong the economy and whether there has been a loss of confidence from investors and consumers. But what today shows, so far, is that investors are much more confident about U.S. stocks, the financial system, and the economy in general than we expected. It may have helped that just last night the Fed gave passing grades to every big bank in the nation on its annual stress test. But either way the big story from the market today is not how much weaker it is from Brexit, but how relatively strong it is despite it.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Young couple looking sad in front of a home with a for sale sign
Real EstateHousing
Gen Z and millennials aren’t convinced the American Dream exists anymore: Only 40% of them can afford to buy a home
By Tristan BoveJune 30, 2026
45 minutes ago
Russian President Vladimir Putin
EconomyRussia
It started with one viral influencer complaining about Russia’s economy. Now a record 60% of Russians are pessimistic about their country’s outlook
By Tristan BoveJune 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Stripe CEO Patrick Collison gestures with his hands as he speaks into a microphone before a congressional committee hearing.
Cryptostablecoins
Stripe, Visa and over 140 other businesses to launch stablecoin to rival Tether and Circle
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 30, 2026
3 hours ago
A woman types into a kiosk at an airport.
Travel & LeisureAviation
‘You can expect prices to be high and stay high’: Domestic airfare is skyrocketing faster than international flight costs, despite using less jet fuel
By Sasha RogelbergJune 30, 2026
4 hours ago
Young worker at desk
SuccessGen Z
Remote-first fintech giant Revolut is making the office compulsory for new Gen Z grads—and they’ll earn flexibility like their peers after one year
By Emma BurleighJune 30, 2026
4 hours ago
mill
InvestingWealth
America added more than 1,200 millionaires per day in 2025, but the heyday of the ‘everyday millionaire’ is already over
By Nick LichtenbergJune 30, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
3 days ago
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
AI
'Humanity has chosen to become idiots': This Brown professor switched to take-home exams after a mass shooting and discovered mass cheating
By Catherina GioinoJune 29, 2026
22 hours ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.