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

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Finance

World Markets Plunge, Then Steady, on Trump Victory

By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 9, 2016, 5:34 AM ET
Japan Reaction to The U.S. Presidential Election Result
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

The U.S. dollar, Mexican peso and world stocks began to steady in the European morning on Wednesday, having been hammered overnight as Donald Trump swept to victory in the U.S. presidential election.

European shares were down less than 1% and investors were returning to other markets that had been sent into a tailspin as it became clear the Trump was set for a dramatic victory over heavily-favored Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Investors fear a Trump victory could cause global economic and trade turmoil and years of policy unpredictability, which among other things will discourage the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates in December as long expected.

“I love this country,” Trump said in a victory speech in New York. “America will no longer settle for anything less than the best … We have a great economic plan, we will double our growth and have the strongest economy in the world.”

Sovereign bonds, the Japanese yen and gold were all giving back ground having surged as the state results had come in overnight and also sent the Mexican peso into near free-fall as once again polls and betting markets proved woefully wrong.

Trump’s threats to rip up a free trade agreement with Mexico and tax money sent home by migrants to pay for building a wall on the southern U.S. border have made the peso particularly reactive to events in the race for the White House.

The mild reaction from European stocks was nowhere near as bad as futures markets had indicated and there were signs that the dollar, as well as other currencies and asset classes hit hard overnight, were beginning to level out.

Overnight in Sydney, Sean Callow, a forex strategist at Westpac, had said the market reaction had been “as though the four horsemen of the apocalypse just rode out of Trump Tower.”

The mood in early European trade was more measured, however.

“The initial reaction in markets was violent,” Saxo Bank head of FX strategy John Hardy said. “But if you look at it across markets you are seeing a pretty decent reversal off the spike.”

In the European morning, the impact was far weaker than the reaction to Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in June which wiped trillions of dollars off world markets.

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a drop of around a 2% for Wall Street later, less than half the 5% they had been warning of in Asian trade.

 

Trade Risks

As FX markets reeled, South Korean authorities were thought to have intervened to steady their currency, and dealers wondered if central banks globally would step in to calm nerves.

Japan’s top currency diplomat signaled Tokyo’s readiness to intervene if necessary as the surging yen threatened to snuff out its fragile economic recovery.

The scale of the scare was clear in the Mexican peso, which plunged more than 13% against the dollar at one point in the biggest daily move in two decades. It was still down 9% by 9:45 a.m. GMT.

“A lot of Trump’s negative geopolitical rhetoric was concentrated around Mexico and trade with Mexico and tearing up the NAFTA agreement, so the peso just become this natural barometer of the election,” said Deutsche Bank EM FX Strategist Gautam Kalani. “What happens now though is all up in the air.”

The risk of a global trade war likewise hammered currencies across Asia, with the Australian dollar leading the rout.

The story was very different against the safe-haven yen, with the U.S. dollar shedding as much as 3.3% to 101.85 yen. The euro jumped 2.3% to $1.1278 as well—though both were well of their highs in Europe of 103.51 yen and $1.1108 for the euro.

 

Uncertainty

Asian stocks took the biggest blows, with MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan falling 2.3% and the Nikkei in Tokyo closing down 5.4%.

A wealthy real-estate developer and former reality TV host, Trump rode a wave of anger toward Washington insiders to win the White House race against Clinton, the Democratic candidate whose gold-plated establishment resume included stints as a first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state.

Markets had favored Clinton as a status quo candidate who would be considered a safe pair of hands at home on the world stage. Analysts had no such certainty about Trump whose powers could be bolstered by the Republican’s control of the Senate.

“With Brexit we had one bad day but this is different. This is what’s scary about putting the most powerful position in the world in the hands of a man who many believe is temperamentally unstable,” said Donald Selkin, chief market strategist at National Securities in New York.

“His tax cuts could open up a huge increase in the budget deficit and his trade sanctions could interrupt world trade. This could put us in a recession.”

Sovereign bonds flew ahead, pushing yields on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes down as much as 12 basis points to 1.75% at one point, again the largest drop since the Brexit vote, only to whip right back up 1.87% in European trade.

In commodity markets, safe-haven gold saw big swings too, initially climbing 3.5% to $1,320 an ounce as the dollar slid, but then sliding back to settle below $1,300.

Oil dropped on concerns over the global economic outlook. U.S. crude shed $1.30 to $43.68 a barrel at its lowest, while Brent fell $1.15 to $44.89 before clawing back to $45.50 barrel.

About the Author
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

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

Kevin Warsh (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after being sworn in as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.
EconomyInflation
Inflation is back above 4% for the first time since 2023—but Kevin Warsh might catch a break
By Eva RoytburgJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
swiss
EuropeImmigration
Switzerland to cast world’s first ever vote on whether to cap population
By Jamey Keaten and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Top CD rates from major banks on June 10, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 10, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for June 10, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for June 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Bitcoin for June 10, 2026
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Current price of Bitcoin for June 10, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of gold as of June 10, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of June 10, 2026
By Danny BakstJune 10, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
23 hours ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
Investing
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
18 hours 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.