[Note: in the following charts the "flat-liners" are the Dow and S&P 500 indices, those showing healthy signs of life are Ruger and Smith and Wesson.]
Now that all the politickin' has chilled perhaps it is time to recognize the effect that Obama's policies and leadership have had on the US economy. Demonize them if you will but the folks on Wall Street vote with their wallets and by and large make choices with their head not their hearts. So how have they assessed Obama's performance.
Well, in the days following the election the markets have not clicked the "Like" icon very many times. However there are some stocks Obama has favorably affected, notably firearms manufacturers. While the overall market took a dive immediately after the results were posted, both Ruger and Smith and Wesson sustained gains over ten percent, peaking at close to twenty. Not bad for less than a week.
But this is not just a recent trend. Since the beginning of Obama's first term our economy, and pretty much any investment in stocks--ownership in America--have not been good enough to qualify as disappointing. It's been that bad. Unless of course you had the good sense and bad taste to bank on the fact that Obama in the White House and (at least at the beginning) Democrats in control of the legislative branch would drive gun sale growth.
*No investment advice is intended. Mention of any company is not an endorsement and is for educational purposes only. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
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