Biden or Trump – which winner of the US election would be best for Irish investors?

WITH just two days to go to the US election, what will it mean for investors?

Irish company directors are backing Biden. An overwhelming 93% believe he will be better for business here by adopting a more open trading policy.

Global investors have also been piling into renewable energy and other sectors likely to benefit from Biden.

Many think he is more likely to deliver the big cash injection necessary to kickstart the U.S. economy.

Democrats have already begun priming a $3trillion stimulus in the hope they win both the White House and Congress. This could benefit Irish cement-maker CRH.

With major US holdings, it is seen as one of the stocks that could benefit from a spending splurge on infrastructure.

Biden’s campaign has also garnered an astonishing 95% of contributions from Big Tech staff, partly due to Trump’s clampdown on US visas for the foreign workers that have fuelled its growth. Over half of Silicon Valley’s star performers were started by immigrants.

Trump says Americans can do these jobs just as well but tech experts think he is shutting off the flow of international talent that did at least make this part of the US ‘great’.

On the other hand, US shares have had a strong ride during the Trump presidency, partly due to corporate tax cuts.

So should we heed Trump’s claim that a Biden victory will trash the markets?

Analysts aren’t sure, claiming markets have already ‘priced in’ a Biden win.

A Trump win would be good news for oil and defence firms — but would likely trigger a slump for China-focused funds.

What would be bad news for investors would be a disputed result with weeks of uncertainty sending markets into a tailspin.