Futures plunged early this morning after a tweet from President Trump that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19. Dow futures sank 500 points. Trump is expecting to “continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering,” according to a statement from White House physician Dr. Sean Conley. The statement also said the president and first lady plan to remain “within the White House during their convalescence.” Which will mean interruptions to Trump’s re-election campaign as at least 14 days of quarantine will be necessary for the president and first lady. 32 days remain until election day.
October may be a bumpy ride ahead of the election, but no matter who wins, some investors will profit. Will you?
Both Trump and Biden are likely to funnel more money into infrastructure spending. Construction projects like 5G cell towers and roads and bridges would get Americans back to work. Infrastructure companies can navigate the volatility, keep doing their business, and come out on the other side stronger. One stock that stands to benefit greatly from more infrastructure spending is United Rentals Inc. (URI).
United Rentals Inc. (URI). is an equipment rental company with a network of locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company offers rentals to businesses in the construction industry, industrial commercial firms, as well as homeowners and other individuals.
The company reported a 21.5% decline in net income as revenue fell 15.3% in Q2, due to the slowdown in economic activity stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Short term volatility is certainly to be expected for industrials, but many analysts are shifting focus to the sector which has significantly lagged the broader market. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) has provided a total return of 8.6% over the last 12 months. Paltry compared to the S&P 500’s total, 12-month return of 23%. Which means there may be plenty of runway ahead for industrials and for URI, no matter who wins the election.
