financetom
Economy
financetom
/
Economy
/
US election, Fed meeting loom in big week for markets
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
US election, Fed meeting loom in big week for markets
Nov 3, 2024 6:20 AM

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A double dose of potentially market-moving events arrives in the coming week as Americans vote on their next president and the Federal Reserve offers more insight on the path of interest rates at its monetary policy meeting.

The Nov. 5 vote culminates an election cycle that has captivated the country and sparked swings in corners of financial markets. Among these has been the waxing and waning of the so-called Trump trade, a bevy of asset price moves reflecting sentiment that Republican Donald Trump is gaining momentum in his race against Democrat Kamala Harris for the U.S. presidency.

Those trades have included a rise in the U.S. dollar and a sell-off in Treasuries possibly fueled by strong economic data and a bitcoin surge spurred by hopes that Trump would deregulate the crypto industry.

Still, polls remain deadlocked and bets leaning toward Trump were narrowing at the end of the week. Some investors expect volatility to accompany next week's vote, no matter the result.

"In either scenario, it seems like there's some near-term risk," said Walter Todd, chief investment officer at Greenwood Capital.

Todd said a win by the Republican could be a "sell the news" event that sparks profit-taking in Trump trades. A win by Harris could spark a more serious unwind, he said.

Control of Congress will also be determined with Tuesday's vote, adding another wrinkle for investors as they weigh how various political outcomes could impact assets over the longer term, with the two candidates offering starkly different paths for the U.S. economy.

For example, the expectation that Trump would seek to lower regulations stands to benefit banks, while higher tariffs could benefit domestically focused small-cap companies while ramping up the potential for volatility in broader markets.

Expectations that Harris would be more supportive of clean energy initiatives means solar and other renewable energy stocks could rise in the event she prevails, analysts said.

Investors are also wary of volatility from an election result that is not immediately clear due to the closeness of the race or is contested by one of the parties. In 2020, Trump tried to overturn the results of his loss to President Joe Biden, falsely claiming it was the result of voter fraud in multiple states.

"The market did fine under Trump. It can do fine under Harris," said Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio manager at Dakota Wealth. "We just need clarity."

FED AHEAD

Thursday's Fed decision on monetary policy looms as another risk for the S&P 500's rally of some 20% this year, though mixed earnings from several tech giants this week led the index to end October in the red, following five straight months of gains.

Fed funds futures trading shows the market expects the U.S. central bank to cut its benchmark policy rate by a modest 25 basis points, LSEG data showed, after easing rates in September for the first time in four years. For many investors, the focus will be on guidance from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, including whether the central bank might consider pausing its rate-cutting cycle at future meetings in light of strong economic data. Citigroup's economic surprise index, which measures how economic data performs versus expectations, is at its highest level since April. Data this week showed the U.S. economy grew at a solid 2.8% pace in the third quarter. Friday's monthly employment report, the last key piece of data before the Fed meeting, ran counter to that trend as it showed job growth almost stalled in October. The data, however, was clouded by aerospace industry strikes and hurricanes that impacted the response rate for the payrolls survey. "This week's data ... suggest the reasoning for a cut is still valid," JPMorgan economist Michael Feroli said in a note. "Even if the election is decided by Thursday, we think there are enough uncertainties in the outlook to warrant a cautious approach to forward guidance" from the Fed.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Stanley Fischer, former Fed vice chair and Bank of Israel chief, dies at 81
Stanley Fischer, former Fed vice chair and Bank of Israel chief, dies at 81
Jun 1, 2025
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Stanley Fischer, who helped shape modern economic theory during a career that included heading the Bank of Israel and serving as vice chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, has died at the age of 81. The Bank of Israel said he died on Saturday night but did not give a cause of death. Fischer was born in...
Trump's Tariffs In Court, Summers' Stark Warning, US-China Stalemate, And Wood's Reaganomics Comparison: This Week In Economics
Trump's Tariffs In Court, Summers' Stark Warning, US-China Stalemate, And Wood's Reaganomics Comparison: This Week In Economics
Jun 1, 2025
The past week has been a whirlwind of economic and political news. From a second federal judge blocking President Donald Trump’s emergency tariff powers to former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers issuing a stark warning about America’s fiscal trajectory, the headlines have been filled with significant developments. Here’s a quick recap of the top stories. Trump’s Tariff Powers Blocked A Washington-based...
Fed's Daly: April PCE inflation is a 'relief,' but incomplete, Fox Business reports
Fed's Daly: April PCE inflation is a 'relief,' but incomplete, Fox Business reports
May 30, 2025
(Reuters) -San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly said on Friday cooling inflation offers relief for Americans suffering from high prices, but that there are risks of higher inflation ahead.  The inflation number that printed today, that's good relief for American consumers, Daly said on Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street, referring to the 2.1% rise in the personal...
Trump says Pakistani representatives coming to US next week for trade talks
Trump says Pakistani representatives coming to US next week for trade talks
May 30, 2025
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday representatives from Pakistan are coming to the United States next week as the South Asian country seeks to make a deal on tariffs. Pakistan faces a potential 29% tariff on its exports to the United States due to a $3 billion trade surplus with the world's biggest economy, under tariffs announced...
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved