Early gains by Hillary Clinton inspire Japanese markets to surge 200 points

The Nikkei jumped more than 100 points amid signs that Hilary Clinton was doing well in battle ground states

The Nikkei stayed flat when it first opened as investors waited for the first indicators (Reuters)

Shares in Japan surged as early results started to point to a Hilary Clinton win in the US Presidential election.

The Nikkei 225 - Japan’s main stock index - was ahead by over 200 points at the time of writing, having endured a nervous opening ahead of the first results.

Financial markets around the world have heavily favoured a Clinton win, amid concerns among investors about Donald Trump’s unpredictability.

Clinton, who has raised large sums from Wall Street, is seen a safe pair of hands by investors.

The Nikkei opened up slightly but was soon in negative territory as investors sat on their hands and waited the first indications about how the US polls was going.

However, it jumped more than 100 points amid signs that Hilary Clinton was doing well in battle ground states such as North Carolina and Florida, before giving up some ground, and then jumped again as Clinton’s advantage started to firm.

In Australia, another market trading as the results came in, the All Ordinaries Index also moved strongly into positive territory as Clinton’s prospects started to look good.

Trump needs a sweep of battleground states including Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio to stand any hope of wining a majority in the electoral college that picks the President.

One of the most eye catching financial moves in the run up to the first results was a sharp rise in the value of the Mexican peso, which surged to a two-month high against the US dollar.

The currency has been rising when Donald Trump’s chances have looked to be receding, falling when his star has been in the ascendent.

Financial spread betting firm IG had predicted a nervous night for investors, who have already had to cope with Brexit this year.

The strong performance of markets, however, in Asia bodes well for Western Indices such as the FTSE 100 when trading opens later this morning.