Back to top

Image: Bigstock

ETFs & Stocks in Focus on Kamala Harris' Shift in Strategy

Read MoreHide Full Article

In 2019, Kamala Harris, then a Democratic senator from California, launched a presidential campaign. But she exited the 2020 election race two months prior to the Iowa caucuses. However, analysts have noticed that Harris’s 2024 campaign for president is a bit different, as quoted on yahoo finance. We would like to note that this shift in strategy could impact several investing areas in a different way. Let’s delve a little deeper.

No “Medicare for All,” Rather a Boost to ACA?

In 2020, Kamala Harris supported Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All plan, supporting a government-run healthcare system. However, in her current campaign, she has moved away from this stance, aligning more closely with Joe Biden's approach of strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and making its expansion permanent beyond 2025.

Oscar Health Inc. (OSCR - Free Report) is a key beneficiary of this strategy. The company stands to benefit from the growing ACA Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. It is a digital health insurance company. The stock is up 11% over the past week (as of Jul 29, 2024).

HCA Holdings (HCA - Free Report) , which is the largest non-governmental operator of acute care hospitals in the United States, should also benefit. The stock has gained 4% over the past week. Previously, when the Affordable Care Act was passed, hospitals emerged as a big winner.

Fracking and Energy Policy

Previously, Harris promoted the Green New Deal, which included a ban on fracking, a controversial drilling technique in the fossil fuel industry. In contrast, her current campaign has moderated this stance. Her stance now seems in line with Biden's more moderate approach that seeks to achieve environmental goals while maintaining energy production and affordability.

She now opposes a fracking ban. This could be good news for energy ETFs like Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE - Free Report) .

Government Intervention in Energy and Transportation

The Green New Deal proposed significant government oversight in transforming the energy and transportation sectors, a stance Harris previously endorsed. Today, she puts more stress on incentivizing change through market mechanisms rather than government mandates. This again aligns more closely with Biden's approach of using tax credits and subsidies for green energy.

While ETFs like iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN - Free Report) go well with this idea, electric car maker Tesla-heavy ETFs like Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 1.5X Shares (TSLL - Free Report) should benefit.

On Federal Reserve Chairmanship

Harris, along with other liberal senators, opposed Jerome Powell's appointment as Federal Reserve Chair in 2018, citing concerns over his ties to the banking industry. However, Biden reappointed Powell for a second term, and there's a high chance that Harris would keep him the Fed Chair, if elected president. This reflects a potential shift toward a more realistic approach to economic governance.

Investors should note that the Powell-led Federal Reserve is likely to cut rates in September, with more cuts expected in the coming days. This should boost rate-sensitive sector ETFs like iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB - Free Report) and Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLU - Free Report) .


 

Published in