French exit polls show Macron on course to win with large margin

In the second round of the French presidential elections, exit polls show incumbent Emmanuel Macron winning with around 58% of the votes. Challenger Marine Le Pen is on course to receive 42% of the votes. 

Le Pen said "we would of course have liked the result to be different," practically conceding defeat. According to the Guardian, exit polls in France are accurate and a 16% margin is considered insurmountable. Opinion polls pointed to a victory for the pro-business Macron, albeit with a smaller margin. 

Markets have yet to open for the new week in Asia. EUR/USD's closing level on Friday was 1.0796, below higher levels recorded earlier in the week. The US dollar received a boost due to safe-haven flows. Investors are also eyeing Russia's war in Ukraine, China's covid-related lockdowns in Shanghai, and the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate rises.