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

Trendingnow

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar

1

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind

2

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

3

Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
NewslettersBull Sheet

If bullish investors are to be believed, the election is over—and Joe Biden has won

By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bernhard Warner
Bernhard Warner
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 5, 2020, 4:58 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This is the web version of the Bull Sheet, Fortune’s no-BS daily newsletter on the markets. Sign up to receive it in your inbox here.

Good morning, Bull Sheeters. First, a bit of politics.

Here’s the state of play, according to the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Fox News: Donald Trump has one path to 270. He needs to win Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. Joe Biden has four ways to get over the hump, and win the presidency; he needs just six votes. CNN is less aggressive calling states, meanwhile, saying Biden holds a 253-213 lead.

The markets have already crowned the winners, starting with gold, tech, health care and consumer discretionary stocks. Meanwhile, financials and utilities—the value stocks that would have gained from a giant Democrat-led stimulus package—are stumbling.

Impressively, yesterday’s post-election rally was one for the record books. Why? Because, even with the threat of recounts and lawsuits, the markets are betting on a victor. “While neither candidate can authoritatively declare victory, markets appear to expect former U.S. Vice President Biden to become U.S. president-elect, with a Republican Senate and a Democrat House,” UBS chief economist Paul Donovan writes in an investor note this morning.

An important reminder: the election is far from decided. Stick with Fortune for all the latest elections and markets news.

Meanwhile, let’s see where investors are putting their money.

Markets update

Asia

  • The major Asia indexes are higher with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng the best of the bunch, up 3.3% in afternoon trading.
  • Two clear winners have emerged so far from the 2020 U.S. election: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, both of whom are likely to benefit from a divided electorate and divided Washington.
  • Investors are calling the suddenly canceled Ant Group IPO the “biggest busted trade in stock market history.” The dual listing had attracted a staggering $3 trillion in orders from investors looking to cash in, Bloomberg reports.

Europe

  • The European bourses were higher out of the gates with the Stoxx Europe 600 up 0.9%. Yep, tech stocks were surging.
  • The Bank of England this morning delivered a bigger than expected 150 billion pound ($195 billion) shot of stimulus to a teetering British economy that goes into a partial lockdown today. The pound sterling and FTSE climbed at the open.
  • 189 countries signed the Paris Agreement back in 2015. Yesterday, it lost a key member, the United States, the first major economy to exit the climate-protection pact. Even still, there are encouraging signs the corporate world and local governments will continue to do their part to reduce emissions.

U.S.

  • U.S. futures are far more stable than they were 24 hours ago, solidly in the green. That’s after all three major indexes rallied on the prospect of a Biden presidency and split Congress.
  • Tech stocks were the big winners yesterday with Uber Technologies and Lyft closing up by 14.6% and 11.3%, respectively, after California voters passed a proposition allowing the ride-hailing firms to continue to classify drivers as independent contractors.
  • The “blue wave stimulus trade,” as it was being called on the eve of Election Day, looks remote. On cue, investors yesterday punished financials, utilities, industrials and materials—the sectors that would have benefited from a big, fat Biden-Dems spending plan.

Elsewhere

  • Gold is up, trading around $1,920/ounce.
  • Bitcoin bulls are sending the cryptocurrency to new heights. It was up about 6%, trading at one point above $14,500.
  • The dollar is lower, creeping down as Biden’s odds on the White House rise.
  • Crude is lower, with Brent trading above $40/barrel.

***

Buzzworthy

A rally for the record books

William Jennings Bryan was also a Democrat.

In praise of partisan division

“The S&P 500 historically has done quite well under a divided Congress, up more than 17% on average,” analysts at LPL Financial wrote in a note Wednesday. Fortune‘s Anne Sraders digs into the numbers.

Stimulus in doubt… tax hike out?

“A divided Congress will make it more difficult to pass the big $2 trn+ ‘blue wave’ fiscal package that some market participants are hoping for. This is the scenario which many in markets saw as the most positive potential result a while ago as a Republican-majority Senate could prevent tax hikes.” — Holger Schmieding, Chief Economist of Berenberg Bank.

While the markets rally, public health officials fret

At this rate, the U.S. will surpass 10 million confirmed COVID cases by Monday.

***

Bernhard Warner
@BernhardWarner
Bernhard.Warner@Fortune.com

As always, you can write to bullsheet@fortune.com or reply to this email with suggestions and feedback.

Today's read

Monday morning in Beijing. The breath-taking unraveling of the Ant Group IPO began with a hastily called meeting. Alibaba founder Jack Ma was summoned to the China Securities Regulatory Commission where he was informed the deal was off. Bloomberg recreates what happened in that fateful meeting that's shaken the investing world.

The state of play. Is the blue wave well and truly dead? Stimulus-package fans, the odds aren't looking good. Here are the states where U.S. Senate races have yet to be been called.

Congress's new crypto bull. Given Bitcoin's recent rally, this item should come as no surprise. Wyoming voters on Tuesday elected Cynthia Lummis to the U.S. Senate, "the first member of Congress’s upper chamber to own cryptocurrency," reports Fortune's Jeff John Roberts. It comes as Wyoming has passed a series of laws to promote crypto commerce and crypto banking.

Some of these stories require a subscription to access. There is a discount offer for our loyal readers if you use this link to sign up. Thank you for supporting our journalism.

Market candy

As America holds its breath...the world cracks jokes

American elections are uniquely gripping affairs. You have to admit, these nail-biters make for great television viewing. To many foreign observers, the race to 270 has an almost gameshow-like quality. If it seems like the entire world is following every disputed vote-count in places like Maricopa County, Detroit and Philadelphia, it's probably because the entire world is. With the help of my colleague David Meyer, I chronicled some of the most humorous Election Day quips, cracks and observations from around the world. Call it a bit of levity as we wait out a vote-count that could get nasty.

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

Latest in Newsletters

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
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Newsletters

Inside Martha Stewart’s latest startup—and the idea she’s been waiting decades to build
NewslettersMPW Daily
Inside Martha Stewart’s latest startup—and the idea she’s been waiting decades to build
By Emma HinchliffeJuly 23, 2026
44 minutes ago
AI coding company Cursor, soon to be acquired by SpaceX, expands its CFO council
NewslettersCFO Daily
AI coding company Cursor, soon to be acquired by SpaceX, expands its CFO council
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 23, 2026
4 hours ago
Moonshot, DeepSeek, and the Great Chinese AI IPO Rush
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
Moonshot, DeepSeek, and the Great Chinese AI IPO Rush
By Nicholas GordonJuly 23, 2026
5 hours ago
Sundar Pichai
NewslettersMarkets
Google just posted the biggest quarterly profit ever—$112 billion—and Wall Street is punishing it for doing so
By Jim EdwardsJuly 23, 2026
6 hours ago
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios on June 22, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Anthropic Fable, Moonshot K3, and AI’s growing ‘industrial distillation’ problem
By Andrew NuscaJuly 23, 2026
7 hours ago
CEOs agree there’s an affordability crisis, but how to solve it isn’t so simple
NewslettersCEO Daily
CEOs agree there’s an affordability crisis, but how to solve it isn’t so simple
By Diane BradyJuly 23, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
24 hours ago
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
3 days ago
Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
Economy
Scott Bessent casually says the U.S. has more than $1 trillion in gold—and that it doesn’t matter for the dollar
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 22, 2026
21 hours ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
2 days ago
'The man who dies rich dies disgraced': The last time America had such wealth inequality, Andrew Carnegie knew he had to give it all away
Success
'The man who dies rich dies disgraced': The last time America had such wealth inequality, Andrew Carnegie knew he had to give it all away
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
24 hours 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.