Trump stuns world with White House defeat of Clinton | Steve Holland and John Whitesides

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. From DonaldJTrump.com

Nov. 9, 2016 (Reuters) -- Republican Donald Trump stunned the world by defeating heavily favored rival Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's presidential election, ending eight years of Democratic rule and sending the United States on a new, uncertain path.

A wealthy real-estate developer and former reality TV host, Trump rode a wave of anger toward Washington insiders to win the White House race against Clinton, the Democratic candidate whose gold-plated establishment resume included stints as a first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state.

Worried a Trump victory could cause economic and global uncertainty, investors were in full flight from risky assets. But the U.S. dollar and world stocks began to steady in the European morning on Wednesday, having been hammered overnight.

Trump collected enough of the 270 state-by-state electoral votes needed to win a four-year term that starts on Jan. 20, taking battleground states where presidential elections are traditionally decided, U.S. television networks projected.

READ MORE: Reuters