Investors await outcome of midterms
Different scenarios create different winners, losers
That’s because in every scenario there could be winners and losers in key sectors of the market, including banking, pharmaceuticals, companies that would benefit from government infrastructure projects and those that rely on healthy consumer spending, analysts say.
The scenario deemed most likely by recent polls and analyst projections has Democrats regaining control of the House and Republicans keeping control of the Senate. The odds are longer for Republicans or Democrats emerging with majorities in both chambers.
“Divided government equals gridlock,” said Terry Haines, head of U.S. policy and political analysis at Evercore ISI. “Gridlock is a good thing for markets because markets like certainty.”
Here’s a look at how the market might react to the different scenarios:
But Democrats might find common ground with the GOP in some areas. Agreement on an infrastructure bill could give a boost to construction equipment and transportation companies. And legislation to control drug pricing would likely be a drag on pharmaceutical company stocks.
A Democratic-led House could also lead to heightened oversight and investigations of big banks and Wall Street firms, which could weigh on financial sector stocks.
The possibility of a government shutdown also increases with a divided Congress, according to a report from UBS on the potential impact of the midterm elections. That could unnerve investors. The S&P 500 slumped nearly 20 percent during the government shutdown that occurred during Congress’ 2011 debt ceiling impasse.
In this scenario, Democrats could push to shore up the Affordable Care Act, but any move to reverse the Trump administration’s hefty tax cut on corporations or its steady rollback of government regulations on businesses could be fruitless in the face of Trump’s veto.
“With this in mind, this election is really about how dysfunctional Washington will be for the second half of President Trump’s first term,” Mike Ryan, chief investment officer, Americas, for UBS Global Wealth Management, noted in the company’s report.
If the GOP extends its majority, there also could be a push to lower capital gains taxes and enact an infrastructure spending bill.
The midterms add to the uncertainty that has buffeted the market for the past month.
After a solid third quarter that saw records for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrials, stocks have swooned on fears that rising interest rates and the U.S. trade dispute with China could undo some of the benefits of the GOP tax cuts and eventually squeeze corporate profit margins. October snapped a six-month winning streak for the S&P 500, giving the benchmark index its worst monthly loss in seven years.