The BlackRock Investment Institute shares the implications of Donald Trump's unexpected election win.
We see Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s unexpected victory bringing market and policy uncertainty in the short run, as we write in our new BlackRock Bulletin on the U.S. election outcome.
Trump’s agenda lacks detail and departs from the Republican Party tradition on trade, security and entitlements. Tapping into a backlash against the Washington status quo, he has often appeared at war with his own party and has surrounded himself with less known advisors.
Trump has said he may withdraw from or renegotiate trade deals as well as label China a “currency manipulator.” This raises the specter of retaliatory protectionist moves by other nations. Any such tensions, coupled with general uncertainty over the Trump administration’s goals, would likely initially result in “risk-off” sentiment hitting stocks and corporate bonds—and a flight to perceived safety havens such as gold and the yen.
U.S. Treasuries may initially benefit, but long-term bonds could come under pressure if markets perceive Trump’s policies to widen the budget deficit. Emerging market (EM) assets could sell off in the short run due to their reliance on trade and investor sentiment, with Mexico looking vulnerable because of its dependence on exports to the U.S.. We see many EMs supported by improving economies, easing monetary policies and a global focus on fiscal spending, but Trump’s victory poses a challenge
Market turmoil
We see any market turmoil potentially leading the Federal Reserve to hold off on a widely expected rate increase in December, but the path thereafter looks less clear. Trump’s planned income tax cuts could initially boost consumer spending, but might soon lead to a deterioration in the U.S. budget and rising rates, in our view. Similarly, plans to deport undocumented immigrants could cause labor shortages and rising wages over time. This might lift inflation, leading to a faster pace of rate increases. Also, the Fed’s board could change significantly over the next four years, given that Trump has criticized the current low-for-longer monetary stance.
A balancing factor is that Trump’s ability to carry out his stated goals looks restricted. Even though Republicans now maintain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, Trump may have to compromise with the party leadership. We could see gridlock on the legislative agenda as a result. Corporate tax reform and increased spending on infrastructure appear to have limited bipartisan support, however, and could be a ripe area for negotiation. Any infrastructure spending would come with a lag but should boost growth more than usual amid rock-bottom rates, in our view.
Health care and financials
Steeper yield curves could pressure “bond proxies” such as utility stocks, and we see cyclical and value stocks outperforming. Health care stocks may rebound from recent losses on perceptions that a Trump administration would exert less pressure to lower drug prices. Yet we see drug pricing under pressure amid media and political scrutiny. We also expect rising uncertainty over potential attempts to repeal or shake up the Affordable Care Act.
We could see relative outperformance by financial stocks in the medium term amid higher inflation and steeper yield curves. Republicans also have proposed paring back post-crisis Dodd-Frank regulations. Yet uncertainty surrounding potential changes may unsettle investors, and any Fed delay in raising rates is a near-term negative. We generally see U.S. regional banks as a bright spot. Proposals to reduce their regulatory burden could help them grow faster and return capital to shareholders.
Read more about our key views on the 2016 election outcome in the full BlackRock Bulletin, U.S. election: Trump win.
Investing involves risks, including possible loss of principal. There is no guaranteed that stocks will continue to pay dividends.
International investing involves special risks including, but not limited to currency fluctuations, illiquidity and volatility. These risks may be heightened for investments in emerging markets.
This material is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities or to adopt any investment strategy. The opinions expressed are as of November 2016 and may change as subsequent conditions vary. The information and opinions contained in this post are derived from proprietary and nonproprietary sources deemed by BlackRock to be reliable, are not necessarily all-inclusive and are not guaranteed as to accuracy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions (including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence) is accepted by BlackRock, its officers, employees or agents. This post may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass. Reliance upon information in this post is at the sole discretion of the reader.
©2016 BlackRock, Inc. All rights reserved. BLACKROCK is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc., or its subsidiaries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
USR-10890
© BlackRock
Read more commentaries by BlackRock