Midterm Elections ‘Disruptive’ No Matter Who Wins

Adviser Investments’ Chief Investment Officer Jim Lowell joined CNBC’s “Wall Street Wrap” to discuss last week’s market declines and ongoing volatilityA measure of how large the changes in an asset’s price are. The more volatile an asset, the more likely that its price will experience sharp rises and steep drops over time. The more volatile an asset is, the riskier it is to invest in. across U.S. stockA financial instrument giving the holder a proportion of the ownership and earnings of a company. indexes. Jim emphasized that the turbulence is likely to continue—and worsen—as we near midterm elections, which he describes as “disruptive, no matter what the outcome.” If Democrats take the House of Representatives, there will be concern over the Trump administration’s ability to continue its current agenda. On the other hand, the fear of trade war likely escalates if Republicans maintain control. Jim also details some prudent investment strategies in the current environment, including dividend-paying and dividend-growing stocksA financial instrument giving the holder a proportion of the ownership and earnings of a company. and battleship balance-sheet blue-chips (both growth and value), among others.