“He took on a remarkably conciliatory posture,” said Eric Wiegand, senior portfolio manager at the Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank. “That went a long way to demonstrating, perhaps for the first time or very few times, his presidential disposition, and gave a greater sense of calm. That’s what had an early reprieve in the markets.”
The Dow ultimately climbed 256.95 points, or 1.4 percent, to 18,589.69. The average was briefly up 317 points.
The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 23.70 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,163.26 The Nasdaq composite index rose 57.58 points, or 1.1 percent, to 5,251.07.
Wall Street had largely seen Clinton as more likely to maintain the status quo, while viewing Trump’s polices as less clear. Investor anxiety ratcheted up in recent weeks as the race tightened, leading to a nine-day slump for the market that ended Monday. By Election Day, the market had mostly bounced back and priced in a Clinton win.
On Wednesday, faced with a president-elect Trump, traders piled into health care and financial stocks — sectors seen as likely to struggle under a Clinton administration. They also sold off safe-haven stocks like utilities and consumer-focused companies.