Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Markets Daily: All about election trades

S&P 500 futures tick higher as Americans get ready to go to the polls. Today's Big Take explains how the world is prepping for either a Trum

Five things you need to know

  • S&P 500 futures tick higher as Americans get ready to go to the polls. Today's Big Take explains how the world is prepping for either a Trump or Harris victory. 
  • Some hedge funds are buying euros and Australian dollar call options in a bet that the US currency will weaken if Harris wins.
  • Bitcoin ETFs suffered a record daily outflow of almost $600 million, with investors bracing for heightened volatility in the aftermath of the vote. 
  • Boeing workers voted to accept a new labor contract and end a strike that's crippled jetliner production for 53 days.
  • Palantir shares soar 12% in early trading after reporting record profit and strong demand for its artificial intelligence software. 

Toss-up of toss-ups

US election day is finally here and the only foolproof trade for investors is to go long cups of coffee as the votes are counted.

Markets will provide a real-time indicator of how Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris are perceived to be faring in their push to win the Electoral College.

Here's our comprehensive guide to election trades and our live map showing results as they roll in. Sign up here for email alerts on key election news and analysis.

Trump trades — wagers that would profit from his platform of easy fiscal policy, high tariffs, low immigration and loose regulation — have been front and center on Wall Street for weeks. 

This meant buying the dollar against peers such as the Mexican peso, Japanese yen and Chinese yuan. Other versions of the trade involved selling Treasuries, while favoring crypto and stocks, especially security companies and his own media brand.

The momentum behind that strategy has turned in the opposite direction in recent days as some polling data tilted in favor of Harris. Soybeans, for example, enjoyed a brief boost on Monday as traders pulled back expectations of a trade war with China after a surprise Iowa poll showed the Democrat making inroads with Midwestern voters. 

As polls prepared to open on Tuesday, the overall mood in markets was subdued but nervous, with traders anxious about outcomes that could shape Washington's agenda for years ahead.

Many investors said the Mexican peso will be a crucial barometer. Implied volatility for the currency is now near levels seen in sterling right before 2016's Brexit vote. 

A disputed election is also a major wildcard – one BlackRock Investment Institute's Jean Boivin has warned investors aren't adequately prepared for.

The undercard of how the Senate and House of Representatives look after the vote is also critical for what happens no matter who resides in the White House.

"It's not two outcomes, it's six, you're looking at one of six outcomes," said Alex Chaloff, chief investment officer at Bernstein Private Wealth. "This is a toss-up of toss-ups. —Simon Kennedy 

On the move

Palantir, a marquee stock of a tech industry frenzy, shows investors are still eager to jump on the AI trend. Its share price is up more than 140% this year, fueled by demand for its software and events such as its recent inclusion in the S&P 500. —Subrat Patnaik

Election day history

Word from Wall Street

"I would be watching for strength in the dollar, particularly versus the euro and emerging market currencies like the Mexican peso as a first reaction, particularly if the results start to indicate that Republicans are likely to take the White House and control of Congress. The opposite if there is a Democratic sweep."
Ed Al-Hussainy
Global rates strategist at Columbia Threadneedle
Here's more on what Wall Street is looking at this election day

What else we're reading

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