Investors flee stocks as Donald Trump closes in on Hillary Clinton

Global shares slumped and gold climbed yesterday as investors crowded into haven assets after the latest US presidential polls suggested a tighter race.

All the anxiety sent investors to the relative safety of the Japanese yen, the Swiss franc and gold, while extending a rout in Mexico’s peso which is seen as a barometer for market perception on the US vote.

A measure of expectations for market volatility surged more than 50% in six days as Democratic contender Hillary Clinton has seen her odds of a US election victory falter after the FBI reopened a probe into an unauthorised email server.