(Reuters) - European stocks slid on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump took the lead over Democratic rival Joe Biden in a number of vital swing states, making the race for the White House too close to call.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index (STOXX) fell 1.2% by 0805 GMT, while the German DAX (GDAXI) shed 1.8% and UK's FTSE (FTSE) lost 1.2%.
New York's S&P 500 futures
Adding to uncertainty, Trump falsely claimed that he had won the U.S. election, and said that "they" were trying to steal the election, without providing evidence. He said he would go the U.S. Supreme Court to fight for the win if needed.
Earlier this week, money managers had bet on a clear victory for Biden in the election, boosting European equities, as investors anticipated better trade ties with Washington and more economic stimulus for the coronavirus-hit U.S. economy.
Banks (SX7P), oil & gas (SXEP) and mining (SXPP) stocks fell more than 3% after leading a surge in markets this week as investors unwound bets of a Biden sweep that could support the growth-sensitive sectors.
Trade-exposed auto stocks (SXAP) also fell 2.7%.