Mayor Michael Bloomberg talks to traders before ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Traffic is snarled, subways out of commission, streets flooded and power out in many parts of the city, but the New York Stock Exchange opened without hitch Wednesday after an historic two-day shutdown, courtesy of Hurricane Sandy.NEW YORK – Wall Street is back in business.
Traffic is snarled, streets flooded, subways idle and power out in many parts of Manhattan and beyond, but the New York Stock Exchange opened trading without a hitch Wednesday after a historic two-day shutdown caused by Superstorm Sandy.
At 9:30 a.m., right on schedule, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg rang the opening bell, then gave a hopeful thumbs-up. Cheers rose from traders on the trading floor below, falsely rumored to be flooded, but dry Wednesday morning, and festive.
“It’s good for the city, good for country, it’s good for everyone to get back to work,” the mayor told CNBC moments later while leaving the exchange building at 11 Wall Street.
The stakes were high for trading to resume.