Super Tuesday Stock Picks For Each Leading Candidate

This year, the first of March marks the pinnacle of the 2016 U.S. presidential primary season: Super Tuesday. All together, the Democratic candidates have a total of 1,015 delegates at stake today and the Republicans have 595 delegates on the line.

To celebrate this big day in the world of politics, Benzinga chose one stock pick for each of the leading candidates:

Hillary Clinton

Short Valeant Pharmaceuticals Intl Inc VRX

This may be the easiest pick of all. Hillary Clinton called out Valeant by name in a new TV ad, saying she’s “going after them” for the company’s “predatory pricing.”

It seems pretty clear that Valeant would have a tough go of it under a President Clinton.

Ted Cruz

Long Smith & Wesson Holding Corp SWHC

Cruz is an outspoken advocate for Second Amendment gun rights and the only top presidential candidate with an A+ rating from the NRA. A President Cruz might not boost gun sales, but he would certainly fight against any threats to their growth.

Related Link: Wells Fargo Sees 23.5% Recession Probability In Next 6 Months

Marco Rubio

Short InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (ADR) IHG

Rubio has specifically mentioned the unfair regulatory burden facing disruptive “sharing economy” startups Uber and Airbnb. Until an Airbnb IPO, the best way to trade President Rubio’s support of the company could be a short on traditional hotel rival InterContinental Hotels.

Bernie Sanders

Short Wells Fargo & Co WFC

Sanders has targeted the largest American banks with his “Too Big To Fail, Too Big To Exist” legislation, which would give the treasury secretary one year to break up the largest U.S. banks. Wells Fargo, the biggest of them all by market cap, has nearly tripled in size since the Financial Crisis.

Donald Trump

Long MGM Resorts International MGM

Trump is chairman and president of the Trump Organization, which holds a large stake in Trump Entertainment Resorts, owner of the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Voters must decide for themselves whether Trump is worth a gamble as president, but you can bet he would be kind to all the Atlantic City casinos including MGM’s 50 percent-owned Borgata.

Disclosure: The author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.

Image Credit: Public Domain