Derf's Grotto

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Ð....What I've been saying....

Analysis: Political gridlock may help U.S. stocks but inflation still in driver's seat:
Split control of the U.S. Congress following the midterm elections may provide a tailwind for stocks at the end of a bruising year, but inflation and the Federal Reserve are likely to remain the market’s main drivers, investors said. "For the economy and markets it is policy that drives outcomes, rather than politics," said Lauren Goodwin, economist and portfolio strategist at New York Life Investments. A split government "makes major policy changes unlikely, and that stability in policy tends to be reassuring for investors." On the other hand, gridlock comes with its own set of risks, including a possible standoff over raising the U.S. debt limit next year that could disrupt the economy at a point when Fed rates may still be at their peak. Still, macroeconomic concerns and monetary policy have driven markets all year, and investors believe that trend is unlikely to change anytime soon. Reuters.com