5 Election-Proof Stock Picks

Worried about what the elections could do to your portfolio? These five stock picks look great regardless of what Nov. 3 brings.

Stars-and-stripes-adorned 2020 election buttons against a bright red background
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Investors have plenty of uncertainty to deal with as it is, and the upcoming presidential election is only adding to their worries.

Lest we forget, as results came in on election night 2016, Dow futures fell 900 points. But when the market actually opened the next day, the Dow rallied to near all-time highs.

Whether we see that kind of whiplash action this time around remains to be seen, but investment strategists say investors would do well to be prepared for rollercoaster days ahead. While the more aggressive among us might "bet" on the election via so-called Trump stocks and Biden stocks, conservative investors can consider allocating a little bit of capital to "election-proof" stock picks.

What do those kinds of companies look like? David Trainer, CEO of investment research firm New Constructs, implores investors to "put their money in quality companies that are positioned to survive any short-term volatility and have upside potential over the long-term." Stocks that fit the mold have strong balance sheets to withstand difficult economic conditions, and they trade at prices with great upside should the economy recover to pre-COVID levels.

"Furthermore, we expect these companies will not just survive the ongoing economic downturn, but will also gain market share lost by companies who do not survive." Trainer says.

Read on as we look at five "election-proof" stock picks. Trainer says each of these stocks offer lots of downside protection as well as strong upside potential. The analyst community broadly agrees, offering up bullish-leaning consensus opinions on each.

Disclaimer

Data is as of Oct. 28. Dividend yields are calculated by annualizing the most recent payout and dividing by the share price. Analyst ratings provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Dan Burrows
Senior Investing Writer, Kiplinger.com

Dan Burrows is Kiplinger's senior investing writer, having joined the publication full time in 2016.

A long-time financial journalist, Dan is a veteran of MarketWatch, CBS MoneyWatch, SmartMoney, InvestorPlace, DailyFinance and other tier 1 national publications. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Consumer Reports and his stories have appeared in the New York Daily News, the San Jose Mercury News and Investor's Business Daily, among many other outlets. As a senior writer at AOL's DailyFinance, Dan reported market news from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Once upon a time – before his days as a financial reporter and assistant financial editor at legendary fashion trade paper Women's Wear Daily – Dan worked for Spy magazine, scribbled away at Time Inc. and contributed to Maxim magazine back when lad mags were a thing. He's also written for Esquire magazine's Dubious Achievements Awards.

In his current role at Kiplinger, Dan writes about markets and macroeconomics.

Dan holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Columbia University.

Disclosure: Dan does not trade individual stocks or securities. He is eternally long the U.S equity market, primarily through tax-advantaged accounts.