U.S. Election Guide to Markets: What to Watch With 2 Days to Go
- Hedges against Trump win boosted even as Clinton’s slide eases
- Stimulus likely either way, good for equities but not for debt
Markets Revel in Prospect of Epic Political Gridlock
Investors increased their hedges against Donald Trump pulling off a stunning upset in the U.S. presidential election even as Hillary Clinton’s slide in the polls eased on the penultimate trading day before the vote.
With traders worried that expectations for a status quo outcome -- Democrat in the White House kept in check by Republicans in Congress -- could be upended, the S&P 500 index fell for the ninth straight session, its longest losing streak since a few weeks after Ronald Reagan’s 1980 election. Clinton’s lead plunged when the Federal Bureau of Investigation reignited controversy over her e-mail practices on Oct. 28, driving haven assets up and riskier ones down, as shown by this chart: