AFP, New York :
Stock markets spiralled downwards Wednesday around the globe as investors fretted over the rising chances that maverick tycoon Donald Trump could win the US presidency in next Tuesday’s election.
Leading equity markets in Asia and Europe tumbled more than one percent, while the broad-based S&P 500 also pulled back, along with the dollar.
Gold prices, seen as refuge in times of uncertainty, continued to climb, adding 0.8 percent to $1,297 an ounce.
“With less than a week to go, market opinion is coming to the conclusion that a Trump win would create too much uncertainty and is bad for risk sentiment generally,” said Societe Generale analyst Kit Juckes.
Leading political observers still view Democrat Hillary Clinton as the front-runner to win the November 8 vote, in part because she enjoys leads in many of the key swing states that will determine the election.
The former secretary of state is considered by most investors to be a safer, more stable bet than Trump, who is seen as a loose cannon.
But polls have showed Trump gaining ground over the last week, a shift from mid-October, when Clinton’s sizeable lead seemed to assure her victory.
Stock markets spiralled downwards Wednesday around the globe as investors fretted over the rising chances that maverick tycoon Donald Trump could win the US presidency in next Tuesday’s election.
Leading equity markets in Asia and Europe tumbled more than one percent, while the broad-based S&P 500 also pulled back, along with the dollar.
Gold prices, seen as refuge in times of uncertainty, continued to climb, adding 0.8 percent to $1,297 an ounce.
“With less than a week to go, market opinion is coming to the conclusion that a Trump win would create too much uncertainty and is bad for risk sentiment generally,” said Societe Generale analyst Kit Juckes.
Leading political observers still view Democrat Hillary Clinton as the front-runner to win the November 8 vote, in part because she enjoys leads in many of the key swing states that will determine the election.
The former secretary of state is considered by most investors to be a safer, more stable bet than Trump, who is seen as a loose cannon.
But polls have showed Trump gaining ground over the last week, a shift from mid-October, when Clinton’s sizeable lead seemed to assure her victory.
