The matchup between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is the wackiest U.S. election of our lifetimes. It isn't helping the economy
Growth was already off to a lousy start in 2016. Experts predicted a summer rebound, but so far, election concerns are growing and the economic gauges are lagging.
"Ultimately, what will determine whether we have a recession next year is the comfort level Americans have with who occupies the White House in 2017," says Bernard Baumohl, chief global economist at The Economic Outlook Group.
Nearly 20% of the S&P 500 companies mentioned the presidential election in their latest quarterly earnings call as a red flag.
"It seems as though every time things begin to settle, something else happens, like Brexit or the dynamics of the upcoming U.S. election, to underscore that there's nothing normal about the new normal," said Campbell Soup (CPB) CEO Denise Morrison on July 20.
"There's a presidential election ... I think has some very unique characteristics that could be affecting the mindset of middle America consumers," said Signet Jewelers (SIG) CEO Mark Light on August 25.
"I think the election here in the United States is a level of uncertainty that's probably unsettling consumers right now," said Arthur Peck, CEO of Gap (GPS) on September 7.