The Lombard Review

The winners from a Republican sweep

The north façade of the White House.
The north façade of the White House. Photo: Nishkid64/Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
By The Lombard Review
1 min read

The morning after Donald Trump’s electoral victory, equity markets delivered a spectacular divergence. While long-term bonds sold off, regional bank stocks experienced their most explosive rally in years, with the SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (KRE) surging over thirteen per cent in a single session.

The roof of Canary Wharf DLR station with 1 Canada Square in the background.
The roof of Canary Wharf DLR station with 1 Canada Square in the background. Photo: mattbuck/Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

The Deregulation Euphoria

Investors are aggressively pricing in a comprehensive dismantling of the Biden administration's regulatory apparatus. A Trump-appointed regulatory regime is expected to water down or scrap the punitive 'Basel III Endgame' capital surcharges, terminate aggressive antitrust scrutiny of bank mergers, and soften commercial real estate supervision. Regional banks are celebrating the prospect of diminished regulatory friction and restored capital return capacity.

An Asiana Cargo Boeing 747 taxiing at Narita Airport, Japan.
An Asiana Cargo Boeing 747 taxiing at Narita Airport, Japan. Photo: Calistemon/Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The euphoric post-election surge in regional bank shares reflects an unhedged bet that sweeping financial deregulation will liberate bank capital and ignite a lucrative consolidation cycle.

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