Hey Snackers,
Another day, another “Election” Google search every 5 minutes mid-Zoom call.
Stocks closed higher yesterday, even as election results remained unclear. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index was the biggest gainer, popping nearly 4%. We'll dig into why below.
Saved by the ballot... App-based driving companies are majorly relieved after CA voters said "Yes" to Prop 22. That exempts them from CA's AB5 law, which would've forced them to reclassify gig drivers as employees (think: healthcare, PTO, paid sick leave).
Deliver the deets... This law would've made hiring drivers more expensive, making these chronically unprofitable apps even more unprofitable. Now they'll save billions of $$$ in a key market. Uber and Lyft shares soared more than 10% yesterday.
It's a massive blow to AB5... Gig companies were the main target of this law. Now that they're exempt, that just leaves other independent contractors like freelancers. But AB5 has caused some companies to stop hiring CA freelancers to avoid paying them as employees. Vox cut 200 freelance writers to comply with AB5. That's why CA has been handing out exemptions and loosening requirements.
2,000 years later... (in SpongeBob voice). As Americans watched election results slowly trickle in yesterday, only one thing seemed clear: the likelihood of a divided Congress (the sequel). This Democrat-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate excited one sector: Big Tech.
Big Gambling... also made some election-related moves. Voters in Maryland, Louisiana, and South Dakota said "Yes" to legalized sports betting, sending DraftKings and Penn National Gaming shares up over 5%. Also making waves:
The 1st reaction isn’t always the long-term one... Stocks react to news all the time — but long-term, there's a lot we still don't know. For example, it's possible that a divided House could pass laws that significantly hurt Big Tech — or green light weed.
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Disclosure: Authors of this Snacks own shares of Uber, Walmart, Google, and Amazon
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