Economics

USA

Outlook

US Presidential Election

The race for the White House

October 2020

Americans will head to the polls this November to vote for the President of the United States of America and their representatives in Congress. But this is not an ordinary election, not least because it is happening during a pandemic and in the midst of one of the most crippling economic recessions in modern history.

National election polls show former Vice-President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump, and the size of that lead has widened since the first presidential debate. Yet, unexpected results during the Brexit referendum and the US presidential election in 2016 remind us not to be complacent.

In these articles, we focus more on Biden’s campaign and policy agenda and what it could mean for the US economy and financial markets. 

1. Gazing into the political crystal ball

In this article, we examine the market implications of three probable scenarios for the current US election cycle and offer investors three tips to navigate the volatile market terrain.

2. Big Bad Biden?

Democratic hopeful Joe Biden continues to lead in the national polls and remains the hot favourite to win the presidential race in November. With a policy agenda that includes higher taxes and stricter regulations, a Biden win might not be good news for equity markets. Yet, investors seem to have come around to his agenda in spite of these seemingly unfriendly policies.

3. An early October surprise

In an unexpected and seemingly cruel twist of fate, just a couple of days after President Trump mocked Joe Biden’s mask-wearing on the debate stage, he and First Lady Melania Trump were reported to have tested positive for Covid-19. What does this mean for the presidential race?