• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

2

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI

1

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream

2

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

3

Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Finance

November is historically the best month for investors in an election year. Will 2020 be different?

Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
Anne Sraders
By
Anne Sraders
Anne Sraders
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 3, 2020, 2:58 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

Wall Street wants a presidential winner, and according to history, it usually rewards one.

November is historically the best month of the year for the S&P 500 during election years, and the rest of the year typically ends strong, according to LPL’s Ryan Detrick.

During an election year, November is the best month of the year for the S&P 500.

December is the third best month.

Will 2020 follow suit and end up strong? pic.twitter.com/c6OSBks9Ac

— Ryan Detrick, CMT (@RyanDetrick) November 2, 2020

That’s due in part to a relief rally following the election when markets get clarity about the administration for the next four years, as “investors usually put money to work after elections,” Jason Draho, the head of asset allocation Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, wrote in a note Monday.

For this year in particular, the relief rally may be due not only to who becomes President: “One of the things about November that will be most positive is we’re going to get answers to some of the most pressing questions: Who is going to run the country for the next four years? Are we going to have vaccines, and do they work?” Jamie Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group, tells Fortune. “That has sort of been looming large over us for the better part of this year.”

But, to be sure, 2020 hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to trends, recently tanking on the historically best day of the year for stocks, Oct. 28. Many on the Street argue that short term, things may be rocky, and Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance, suggests investors “buckle up, as this may be an election week (or longer) and not just an election night, and markets are already bracing for the uncertainty,” he wrote in a note Monday.

The big concern for investors this election has been the possibility of a contested election, which could roil markets if the White House doesn’t get a clear result shortly after Election Day. Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist for Allianz Investment Management, argued, “It’s not so much who gets elected but more so how that takes place” that’s important for investors, he recently told Fortune.

But on Tuesday markets appear more optimistic that a clear winner, whoever it is, will be declared, as the Dow and S&P 500 both popped over 2% in midday trading. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Biden a 89% chance of winning, and LPL’s Jeff Buchbinder recently told Fortune that in recent weeks “markets have been saying, ‘Biden’s the favorite.’”

According to Edward Jones’s Angelo Kourkafas, “Today’s gains, coupled with Monday’s rise, seem to be reflecting a slightly higher probability that we may avoid a contested election result,” he tells Fortune via email. (Harris Financial’s Cox argues it’s also because of oversold conditions last week that are resolving.) But Kourkafas still doesn’t think an “immediate, clear winner is a foregone conclusion at this point, and we maintain our view that a contested result would likely produce the greatest amount of short-term market volatility.”

Part of the current market optimism may be clinging to the hope of another stimulus package, something the economy and investors have been waiting for (and trading on) for months. Though the timing and size of a new deal is up to whoever secures the White House, many analysts and economists expect another round of help soon.

Ultimately, those like Edward Jones’s Kourkafas argue, “the passing of election uncertainty will enable the market to shift its sights back to the health of the economic recovery, monetary policy conditions, and corporate earnings performance.”

Meanwhile the market’s rebound on Monday and Tuesday from its big selloff last week puts it back on track for a road map some strategists like Charles Schwab’s Randy Frederick have been following all year: tracking 2020’s market to 2009’s market.

Right on cue, the $SPX has rebounded from the Oct slide in order to maintain the remarkable parallel with the 2009 roadmap. While overall performance lags, the trend is amazingly similar. If this continues, the $SPX could be +4% in another week.https://t.co/maIeV4Rfa2 pic.twitter.com/eQynRE9QgP

— Randy Frederick (@RFrederickMedia) November 3, 2020

If the market’s rise this week doesn’t run out of steam, it could put the S&P 500 on course for a 4% increase in another week, Frederick postulated on Twitter on Tuesday, but volatility is likely to remain high in the coming days, he told Fortune last week.

About the Author
Anne Sraders
By Anne Sraders
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

How surging gold prices led to the biggest jump on this year’s Southeast Asia 500
InvestingGold
How surging gold prices led to the biggest jump on this year’s Southeast Asia 500
By Angelica AngJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Federal Reserve building
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
How the Federal Reserve can impact your savings account’s interest rate
By Glen Luke Flanagan and Cassie BottorffJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
retire
Personal FinanceRetirement
Vanguard’s alarming state of retirement in 2026: The average American has $167,970 in their account—or they have $44,115
By Nick LichtenbergJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
A mother and father work while their child plays
Economyaffordability
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
Biden’s flip-flopping on student loan promises made borrowers increase discretionary spending, and were 7.5% more likely to default as a result
Personal Financestudent loans and debt
Biden’s flip-flopping on student loan promises made borrowers increase discretionary spending, and were 7.5% more likely to default as a result
By Catherina GioinoJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago
Kevin Warsh, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
EconomyKevin Warsh
Kevin Warsh’s first Fed meeting sees rates hold steady and makes outright promise to deliver price stability—but don’t expect many details on when
By Eleanor PringleJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
Arts & Entertainment
Exclusive: Universal beat Disney as Hollywood's maker of the most expensive movie of all time 
By Christian SyltJune 17, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
9 hours ago
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
Startups & Venture
Melinda French Gates' advice to new IPO millionaires: 'Give half your money away'
By Emma HinchliffeJune 13, 2026
5 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.