Election 2020: Wall Street Reacts to a Potentially Divided Government

Election 2020
Wall Street reacts to a potentially divided government.

Provided by Rita Wilczek

After many weeks of telegraphing a long and careful ballot count, this week’s election lived up to that prediction in races for the Senate, the House, and the presidency. While Americans voted Tuesday, Wall Street cast its ballot Wednesday.

The S&P 500 rose 2.2% on Wednesday, November 4, as it appeared a divided government would be the outcome of election 2020. The Nasdaq, which has led all year, picked up 3.9%.¹

While one might assume that having one party control the White House and both houses of Congress is the best situation for investors, in practice, this isn’t the case. Since 1937, the S&P index (in its various iterations) has shown a 14.6% return after elections, resulting in a divided government. This compares to a 13% return in election years where one party took the presidency, House, and Senate.²

Elections mean new leaders throughout the government and new policies that may be pursued. If you have concerns about these changes, visit with your trusted financial professional for guidance.

Rita Wilczek may be reached at (952) 542-8911 or rwilczek@hirep.net

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Citations

1. YahooFinance.com, November 4, 2020 

2. Hartford Funds, “Election and Your Portfolio,” 2020