Microsoft's widespread outage on Friday, November 13, 2026, disrupted financial markets just as traders were navigating a turbulent week. The outage affected key systems like Outlook, Teams, and Copilot, forcing professionals to rely on phones and other communication channels.
Rita Elkazzi, UBS Group AG's execution-sales head for Australia and New Zealand, described the situation as a "disaster." The outage occurred as AI stocks and bonds were experiencing significant volatility, adding to the challenges faced by traders.
Elkazzi, based in Sydney, expressed frustration that the issue remained unresolved, emphasizing the need for extra diligence in ensuring trade accuracy without access to Microsoft's systems.