Trump’s Travel Ban: Markets Spooked, Investors will be Seeking out Bargains

Trump’s Muslim ban has spooked markets, but clued-up investors won’t be panicking, they’ll be seeking out bargains, affirms the boss of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.

The comments from Nigel Green, founder and CEO of deVere Group, come as the U.S.’s Dow index slipped below the key 20,000 markon Monday, with the dollar also impacted by anxious sellers. The FTSE 100, the UK’s leading share index, also closed down by almost one per cent yesterday, following share falls in Asia overnight.

Mr Green says: “The American markets fell on Monday below 20k, taking their cue from weak European and Asian markets.

“For the past few months a Trump presidency has been widely regarded as positive for stocks.

“But it appears that the rose-tinted glasses have come off as the travel ban for seven Muslim-majority countries has indicated to investors that there are major geopolitical headwinds brewing as the controversy intensifies.”

The markets have been reacting to the fact that last Friday, Trump put a 120-day hold on permitting refugees into the States, an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria, plus a 90-day ban on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya and four other nations. Many nations, including long-standing U.S. allies have called the measures divisive and discriminatory.

The deVere CEO continues: “The markets are jittery, but I think this is more a bump in the road than a major obstacle – for the moment at least. Markets typically have a knee-jerk reaction to unexpected or controversial geopolitical events.

“There is also the argument that markets were overvalued and investors might have been looking for an excuse to sell, and this measure by Trump provided them with that.”

He goes on to say: “Despite Trump’s Muslim ban spooking markets, clued-up investors won’t be panicking, they’ll be seeking out bargains – and perhaps hoping that the sell-off continues.

“They will be aware that the world is changing fast. Change means volatility. 

“Whilst some people are put-off investing because of volatility, many of the most successful investors welcome it.  This is because profitable opportunities are found where there are fluctuations and portfolios can be topped- up and advantage can be taken of lower entry points.”

Mr Green concludes: “As always, the most successful investors will be seeking independent, professional advice to find the opportunities as the world readjusts to a Trump presidency.”