Peru Stocks’ Record Plunge on Humala Forces Trading Suspension

Peru’s stock exchange halted trading after the benchmark index plunged a record 12 percent as investors speculated Ollanta Humala will seek more state control of the economy as the nation’s next president.

Mining companies led the Lima General Index lower after Humala, who during the campaign pledged to raise royalties on the industry, claimed victory in yesterday’s election. The currency and bonds also fell. The bourse twice suspended trading today, ending the session three hours early, as Alturas Minerals Corp. and Minera IRL Ltd. dropped more than 20 percent.