The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average surged to record levels on Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected as the 47th U.S. president.
In Congress, Republicans clinched a majority in the Senate, while the House race remains close. As of Wednesday morning’s tabulations, Republicans held 198 seats versus 180 for Democrats.
The S&P 500 index, as tracked by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY), climbed 2% to 5,900 points, while the Dow soared over 3% to 43,500 points. The blue-chip index, monitored through the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:DIA), marked its biggest single-day gain since November 2022.
The financials and industrials sectors were the top performers, up 5.2% and 3%, respectively.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 witnessed smaller gains, up 1.8%, while small-cap stocks skyrocketed, with the Russell 2000 index spiking over 5%.
The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), often called the “fear gauge,” plummeted 22%, indicating waning investor concerns amid post-election optimism.
Investors are responding positively to the prospect of more lenient tax policies under the upcoming Trump administration, though inflation risks and potential shifts in Federal Reserve policy highlighted by economists seem to be largely overlooked by the market for now.
Economic Implications Of A Trump Presidency, Goldman Sachs Weighs In
“If Republicans secure a narrow House majority, this would likely enable a full extension of the 2017 tax cuts, set to expire in 2025, potentially with some reinstated business investment incentives,” wrote Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs’ chief economist.
A Republican-controlled Congress may also drive increased federal spending, particularly on defense, Goldman Sachs indicated.
"We would expect Trump to impose additional tariffs averaging 20% on imports from China," Hatzius added, highlighting that this policy could provide a “one-time boost to core PCE inflation” and “a modest drag on GDP.”
Goldman Sachs projects that the incoming Trump administration would likely pursue a more relaxed approach to regulation, especially in energy, financial services, and labor.
However, while antitrust oversight may soften somewhat, scrutiny of the tech sector is expected to persist.
Top-Performing S&P 500 Sectors After Trump Secures Election Victory
| Sector | ETF | 1-day Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Financials | Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLF) | 5.15% |
| Industrials | Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLI) | 2.99% |
| Energy | Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLE) | 2.68% |
| Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLY) | 2.60% |
| Technology | Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLK) | 2.22% |
| Materials | Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLB) | 1.66% |
| Communications | Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLC) | 1.54% |
| Health Care | Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLV) | 1.08% |
| Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLP) | -0.42% |
| Utilities | Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLU) | -1.23% |
| Real Estate | Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:XLRE) | -1.29% |
Top Gainers, Losers Within The S&P 500 Following Trump’s Win
| Name | Last | Chg % |
|---|---|---|
| Discover Financial Services (NYSE:DFS) | 187.37 | 23.39% |
| Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) | 193.69 | 16.64% |
| Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF) | 65.93 | 16.03% |
| Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) | 288.40 | 14.70% |
| Nucor Corporation (NYSE:NUE) | 164.96 | 14.07% |
| Trimble Inc. (NASDAQ:TRMB) | 69.97 | 13.55% |
| Charles River Laboratories International (NYSE:CRL) | 214.16 | 13.51% |
| CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) | 62.76 | 13.40% |
| Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) | 72.43 | 13.05% |
| Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:STLD) | 149.73 | 10.38% |
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