S&P 500 points to strong underpinnings for US stocks and economy
The broader S&P index provides a better guide to the health of the US economy and its prospects than the Dow Jones Industrial Average which reflects 20 companies
WHEN it comes to investment decisions, debates between the never-Trumps or forever-Trumps are pointless. Still, some policy positions by the president-elect cannot be ignored.
This includes a determination to levy new tariffs on many products and to increase tariffs on Chinese products. Both incoming president Donald Trump and outgoing office holder Joe Biden believe that tariffs are an antidote for the ills that plague the United States. Many agree with Trump, but others point ominously to the impact and consequence of the Smoot-Hawley tariff acts of 1930 which many historians conclude was an accelerant towards World War II.
The task for the investor is not to agree or disagree with the validity of the policy, but to develop strategies that will minimise any harmful impacts.
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
