Rocky presidential election could bring bumpy year for stock market

Rocky presidential election could bring bumpy year for stock market

By Karl Henkel

khenkel@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Rick Santorum’s Louisiana triumph Saturday reignited his presidential hopes, and now there seems to be no indication that the race for the GOP nomination will end anytime soon.

That uncertainty, along with the uncertainty surrounding November’s presidential election, could mean a rocky year for stocks including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which this month topped 13,000 for the first time since 2008.

The Dow closed Friday at 13,80, more than 900 points higher than its level one year ago.

“Some feel that this year could play out where we start strong, but slip into a funk by spring due to ‘electoral anxiety,’” said Robert Gardner, CPA and financial adviser with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Inc., Butler Wick Division in Canfield.

“At least in the ‘good’ election years in the past, we’ll deal with our concerns by late summer, early autumn, and recover when the outlook for November elections becomes clearer and we’re ready to put money back into stocks.”

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.