Dow scores its best day in 18 months in a broad relief rally after Democrats sweep to power in Congress

The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted its strongest single-day gain in 18 months, with the rally attributed to a broad relief move after Democrats gained control of Congress. The reaction reflects a shift in political risk premia: a unified Democratic government reduces the probability of gridlock and eliminates the scenario of a divided Congress blocking fiscal and regulatory agendas, which markets had priced as a source of uncertainty. Cyclical and policy-sensitive sectors tend to carry the most exposure to such a repricing, since their earnings are more sensitive to federal spending, tax treatment, and regulatory direction than defensive names. Traders will be watching how the incoming majority's legislative priorities, particularly on tax policy and infrastructure spending, translate into concrete bills, along with Treasury yield moves that signal whether investors expect higher deficit-financed spending to pressure the long end of the curve.

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