Lefty Presidents Are Better For Markets
Don’t you hate how right-handed Donald Trump is? Can’t we get an all-lefty general election again, like when lefties Barack Obama and John McCain squared off?
As we go full-throttle into the election year, people will have endless debates about how policies affect the economy. As a left-handed investor, I ask the question that really matters … are there any lefties running for president?
As you may be aware, we’ve had a left-handed president for 40 of the last 92 years, including four of the last five presidents. It’s hardly a coincidence — lefties are natural born leaders, charismatic, wise … stop, you’re making us blush.
I tallied S&P 500 index returns under different presidents. Even with Herbert Hoover’s atrocious left-handed start from 1929 through 1932, lefty presidents have seen annual S&P 500 growth almost 2 percentage points better than righty presidents. Under their 40 years of tenure, lefty presidents have seen price appreciation of about 7.2 percent per year. This compares with a paltry 5.3 percent during the 52 years of righty presidents.
Sadly, it’s a tough field this year for lefties. According to our research, Rand Paul is the only major left-handed candidate in either party. This is not the heyday of 1992, when Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ross Perot were all left-handed. But the market wasn’t really that great during the 90’s anyway, was it?
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Luke F. Delorme
Luke F. Delorme is Director of Financial Planning for American Investment Services. Articles do not constitute personal investment advice. Please seek the advice of a professional before implementing any financial decision. Luke can be reached at LukeD@americaninvestment.com.
