A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on July 3, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Stocks advanced on Monday as investors bet the unsuccessful assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump will lead to big gains for the Republican presidential candidate and the GOP at the polls in November.
Friendlier fiscal policies ahead were seen as further spurring a broadening out of the bull market that started to take shape last week. Small-cap shares and banks led the gains Monday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 238 points, or 0.6%, while the S&P 500 gained 0.4%. Both touched new intraday highs in the session. The Nasdaq Composite popped 0.4%, aided by a 2% rally in Apple following an upgrade on Wall Street.
“The good news is that former President Trump was not injured more than the ear, that he was not killed,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research, on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange.” “As a result, I think the market will continue on its momentum ways.”
The Republican National Convention commences Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Trump leading President Joe Biden in national polls.
Humana and UnitedHealth Group each rose more than 1% in the session. The insurers could benefit from fewer cost pressures coming from a Republican administration.
The Russell 2000 gained more than 1%, touching its highest level since 2022 and on track for a fourth straight positive day. Goldman Sachs said a second Trump term could help small caps outperform, citing their strong record after his victory in 2016.
Goldman Sachs shares traded more than 1% higher after posting earnings that exceeded analysts’ expectations. The SPDR S&P Bank ETF (KBE) and SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) both added more than 3%.
Goldman is one of the more than 40 S&P 500 companies reporting second-quarter earnings this week as the new season ramps up. This list also includes household names such as Bank of America, United Airlines and Netflix.
Beyond earnings, investors parsed comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, who said the central bank wouldn’t wait until inflation was at its goal of 2% before lowering interest rates. He also said a hard landing scenario is unlikely for the economy.
“We are getting very close to the point of the Fed … seeing the data that they need to see to be comfortable cutting rates,” said Bill Merz, head of capital market research at U.S. Bank Asset Management. “That’s what is the first and foremost thing in the psyche of the market.”
