A Super Wednesday Biden Bounce
It’s Biden versus Bernie to take on Trump as a Democrat in November, and Biden is the market’s pick. He was on the back foot until Super Tuesday when he leapfrogged his running mate, surprising investors with a “Biden bounce.”
Investors prefer Joe Biden because he’s not a socialist, he’s a steady presence and a mate of Barack’s! When it comes to money, he’s more easy-going than Bernie Sander’s and not hell-bent on reeling in Wall Street power.
He wouldn’t ban popular share buybacks, for example, used to boost stock prices. And he’d probably not hike corporate tax as far. Stability and maintaining the status quo, rightly or wrong, always favors the stock market.
Healthcare stocks experienced the greatest “Joementum” yesterday, however. Americans currently receive treatment on commercial plans, and that’s always been a political hot potato: only the poor and elderly benefit from state-aided Medicaid and Medicare.
Bernie is a revolutionary on the matter. His goal is to kill private health insurers and get everyone on a free system. It meant a lot to investors in for-profit healthcare yesterday when Sanders stumbled, even though Biden, a reformist on the matter, was sounding unpalatable views not long ago.
UnitedHealth Group flew more than twelve percent as Biden swept the south. Anthem and Centene, smaller players with less diversification into Medicaid and Medicare, jumped even higher.
If Biden runs away with the democratic nomination from here, healthcare stocks will continue to rally. However, Bernie will fight back, and against tax-slashing Big Don in November, Joe would no longer be the broader market favorite. That is unless he’s got something special his sleeve. The race continues!