The Mexican peso's value is inversely related to Donald Trump's campaign success

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published 12 September 2016

What's good for Donald Trump is bad for the Mexican peso. Bloomberg News found that, over the last four months, when Trump's chances of winning the U.S. presidential election have increased, Mexico's currency has "repeatedly declined" in value.

For instance, after Hillary Clinton was diagnosed with pneumonia over the weekend and subsequently canceled a planned trip to California, the peso fell to a "2 1/2-month low" Monday. Overall, Bloomberg reported, the peso has weakened 10 percent this year, making it the second-worst performing major currency after the U.K.'s pound.

Because Mexico's economy is so intertwined with America's, Trump's promises to, say, build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and have Mexico foot the bill hit the peso particularly hard. The peso is the "most-liquid emerging-market currency after China's yuan," which Bloomberg reported makes it "particularly vulnerable to selling." "Among the different risk factors that affect all markets, this is one that could have greater consequences specifically for Mexico," said Juan Carlos Alderete, head of currency strategy for Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB in Mexico City.