The clouds of uncertainty parted last week as former President Donald Trump decisively won the U.S. election, making him the second U.S. president to win non-consecutive terms (Grover Cleveland was the first to do it back in 1892). Investors welcomed the news with renewed risk appetite, bidding the S&P 500 to its 50th record high of the year on Friday. Trump’s proposed economic policies, including deregulation, a likely extension of the 2017 tax cuts, a possible corporate tax rate cut, and proposed tax exemptions on tips, social security, and overtime pay helped underpin buyer enthusiasm. The immediate de-risking of when the election will be decided was another big factor behind the post Election Day rally.

As Election Day approaches, we discuss potential stock market implications of various possible outcomes. But before we get into that, we offer our regular public service announcement around elections and investing. Political views are best expressed at the polls and not in portfolios.

Stocks have done so well this year that it’s fair to say market participants haven’t feared much. But just because risks haven’t affected markets lately doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. In that “spirit,” as Halloween approaches, we discuss what scares us about the economy and financial markets.

The S&P 500 consensus earnings growth number of 3% for the third quarter is not something to write home about, especially after double-digit earnings growth in the second quarter. The soft number is partly due to a tougher comparison. In Q2 2024, earnings had an easier comparison with a 3.3% drop in earnings in the prior-year quarter (Q2 2023 vs. Q2 2022). For the third quarter now being reported, the comparison gets tougher as earnings growth in Q3 2023 was over 5% (vs. Q2 2022).

The October 13 rally that ended the bear market at a low of 3,577.03 began with the S&P 500 selling off in the morning only to rally dramatically higher into the market close. The CPI report earlier in the day showed headline inflation at 8.2% on a year-over-year basis, but Core CPI ─ not including food and fuel prices ─ beat the consensus estimate at 6.6%. The S&P 500 closed at 3,669.91 and the bull market had commenced.