(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors - N.America) Hillary Clinton, the United States' first woman President, is not a piece of history yet in the bag, but the view of pollsters a day after her first televised clash with rival Donald Trump is that she's maintained a slim lead to the White House.
Much has been said about how Wall Street favours Democrat Clinton, not least of all because of the alliances she has built up with the financial district as well as tech firms in Silicon Valley. Meanwhile, Republican Trump has made foes as well as pals on Wall Street and is alleged to owe them a hefty haul in debt.
But there is far more to this.
Historically, the stock market has actually fared better under a Democrat president than a Republican one. As for Trump-Clinton more specifically, there is also a fear that a Trump administration which threatens to shake up the establishment, would lead to market volatility, whereas Clinton would simply extend the status quo of incumbent Barack Obama.
Analysts have already started to poke around to select stocks that could fare well in the event Clinton is the next US President.
Four Sectors To Gain
Broadly, four sectors should do well if Clinton is sworn in on January 20. They are infrastructure, internet technology , alternative or renewal energy, and healthcare.
Not that just any stock will benefit.
One that comes to the top of the list is Facebook (NASDAQ:FB). Clinton has deep ties with Silicon Valley and has cultivated relationships with some of tech's titans, one of them being Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg. The real upside for Facebook isn't that Democrat policies favour Facebook but rather the benefit of not having a Trump presidency. A case of 'better the devil you think you know'.
On multiple occasions, Trump has dismissed and antagonised the tech sector, shelling names like Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Wall Street's biggest stock, as well as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). Meanwhile, Clinton has advocated for greater investment in STEM education and expanding broadband access worldwide. A by-product of greater internet access is more Facebook accounts and engagement.
Facebook shares were up 1% at $128.59 on Tuesday.
Online film vendor Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) could be another IT beneficiary.
Clinton has supported net neutrality and the efforts to enforce open internet rules. Netflix has been one of the most outspoken champions of net neutrality. If there are any restrictions on download size or speed it could put a huge damper on Netflix's business model which facilitates binge watching TV shows. Netflix is having a difficult 2016 after financial pundits prematurely lumped them in with Facebook, Amazon and Google's owner Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
Netflix shares rose 2.6% to $97.06.
Also in the IT sector, Cyberark Software (NASDAQ:CYBR) might benefit.
Cyber security is one of the biggest threats to national security and will only get worse. Clinton's proposed plan on promoting secure networks include safeguarding the flow of information across borders while protecting online privacy and security. This is not a small feat and will take some of the greatest minds in Silicon Valley to keep data safe.
Cyberark shares were up 0.3% at $50.86.
Infrastructure
According to Zacks, a Clinton victory might force analysts to revise estimates higher on several 'hold' stocks but for now keep tabs on the likes of Martin Marietta Materials (NYSE:MLM).
Clinton wants to improve crumbling infrastructure. Martin Marietta Materials will be an important supplier of the aggregates used to build the roads and bridges that will be included in her budget plan.
MLM shares were up 0.2% at $183.59.
Renewable Energy
Clinton's move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable alternative energies makes the solar sector attractive. The Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN) should move higher with a Democrat victory. Clinton's goal to have renewable electricity in every home within 10 years makes First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR) a steal at current valuation levels.
Early on Tuesday, First Solar was the S & P 500 index's top gainer. It was last seen up 4.6% at $38.96. Meanwhile. SolarCity (NASDAQ:SCTY) of which Elon Musk is chairman, could stand to be a winner upon a Clinton victory. SolarCity shares were 0.6% higher at $20.09.
Healthcare and Insurance
Finally, in Healthcare and insurance Clinton would expand Obamacare if elected, allowing more visits before deductibles and tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses. Hospitals would profit with an expansion of Obamacare as more people would be encouraged to get care when it is needed. HCA Holdings (NYSE:HCA) operates 164 hospitals and 116 freestanding surgery centres, so with that kind of distribution it would benefit.
HCA shares were up 0.4% at $75.22.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) is another winner.
Health Care is one of the polarising topics of the current election. Clinton is a staunch supporter of the Affordable Care Act and has insisted she will build on its successes to reduce costs even further. Increased adoption and wider coverage is particularly beneficial for hospital networks and managed care providers. That's bullish for health insurers like UnitedHealth, Aetna (NYSE:AET), and many of their peers.
UnitedHealth shares were 0.7% higher at $140.70. Aetna shares were 0.7% higher at $115.77.
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