Even with a cloudy election outcome, skies may clear quickly - WFII
Main U.S. indexes green; Nasdaq out front, up ~1.3%
All 11 S&P 500 sectors positive; Tech, Cons Disc lead
Euro STOXX 600 index ~flat
Dollar down; gold edges up; crude up ~1.5%; bitcoin up ~4.5%
U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield rises to ~4.36%
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EVEN WITH A CLOUDY ELECTION OUTCOME, SKIES MAY CLEAR QUICKLY - WFII
Election Day is finally here, and polling data has been suggesting the race is a dead heat between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Despite significant policy differences between the two candidates, Douglas Beath, Global Investment Strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute (WFII), says the stock market seems "unfazed" by the tightness of the race.
Beath recounts that in 2020, it took until Saturday afternoon after Election Day to complete the Pennsylvania vote count, which solidified a win for President Biden.
This year, election night may or may not confirm the tight polls.
"If even a few thousand voters switch or leave the 'undecided' category, one candidate may accumulate an insurmountable Electoral College lead overnight," writes Beath in a note.
He adds that alternatively, in a tight race, some combination of swings states may not complete their vote counts for days or longer. A close race may also spark lawsuits that demand recounts or fraud checks, or additional time may be needed to tabulate a large number of early and mail-in ballots.
According to Beath, financial market volatility can coincide with delays after Election Day, but he says it tends to fade as the economy typically quickly re-establishes itself as the main driver of expected earnings.
Although Beath concedes that a delayed outcome is possible, WFII does not see it having a lasting negative impact on stocks "beyond a short bout of volatility."
He adds that an expected Fed rate cut two days after Election Day should help refocus investors on what matters most for markets, which he says is "the near-term path of interest rates and the economic trajectory into 2025."
In any event, WFII's two most likely election outcomes are for Republican control of both the White House and the Congress, or for a Harris win along with a Republican Senate and a Democratic House of Representatives.
The latter scenario remains WFII's base case, which Beath says should serve to limit legislative initiatives.
(Terence Gabriel)
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FOR TUESDAY'S EARLIER LIVE MARKETS POSTS:
THE ELECTION IS NO TIME FOR PORTFOLIO HEROICS - OR IS IT? - CLICK HERE
TUESDAY DATA DISTRACTION: SERVICES PMI ACCELERATES, TRADE GAP GAPES - CLICK HERE
WILL IT BE RED OR BLUE? ACTUALLY, IT'S ALL GREEN EARLY ON ELECTION DAY - CLICK HERE
S&P 500 INDEX: VOTING WITH ITS FEET? - CLICK HERE
U.S. ELECTION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FED'S STEPS - CLICK HERE
IS BULLISH POSITIONING A RISK, GOING INTO US VOTE? - CLICK HERE
WHY EURO AREA INFLATION COULD STAY BELOW 2% FOR LONG - CLICK HERE
STOCKS HOLD THEIR BREATH AS AMERICA VOTES - CLICK HERE
EUROPEAN FUTURES STEADY AS ELECTION DAY ARRIVES - CLICK HERE
MARKETS BUCKLE UP FOR ELECTION DAY - CLICK HERE
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