Jim Zarroli

A woman walks by the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 5. Stock markets are rallying at the prospect that this week's elections will result in a divided government.

Wall Street Bet On A 'Blue Wave,' But Divided Government Suits It Just Fine Too

Jim Zarroli

Stocks have traditionally done well with a Democrat in the White House and Congress under Republican control.

"Wall Street" is etched on a building across the street from the New York Stock Exchange in September. Stocks are rallying as voters head to the polls Tuesday.

Stocks Soar As Tense Election Draws To A Close

Jim Zarroli

Investors are betting that Democrats could take control of the White House and the Senate, increasing the prospect of passing a new relief package once the election is over.

How The Election Might Affect Stock Prices

Jim Zarroli

Trump says a Democratic victory next week will send stock prices plummeting. But Wall Street ambivalent about the prospect of a Biden presidency. Mainly investors are worried about COVID-19.

A store displays a sign before closing down permanently following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, on Aug. 4, 2020 in Arlington, Va. The Small Business Administration's inspector general office said billions of dollars in relief loans may have been handed out to fraudsters or ineligible applicants.

Billions In COVID-19 Relief Loans May Have Been Handed Out To Scammers, Report Says

Jim Zarroli

The Small Business Administration had to quickly disburse coronavirus relief loans. But some of that may have been handed out to fraudsters, an agency report says.

The U.S. flag hangs outside the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month. Investors have been grappling with a wave of uncertainty that's sent the market lower in recent weeks.

Dow Plunges 943 Points; Steep Sell-Off Is Triggered By Fears Of More Lockdowns

Jim Zarroli

The Dow tumbled more than 900 points as COVID-19 cases surge in the United States and Europe, while next week's election is only adding to the uncertainty over the economy.

Political Campaigns See Flood Of Outside Money, Often From Unknown Donors

Jim Zarroli

With control of the Senate at stake, record amounts of outside money are flooding into races. In North Carolina, nearly $200 million has come in, dwarfing the money raised by the candidates.

United Airlines employees work at ticket counters at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Oct. 14. United and other airline stocks have been hard-hit by the pandemic economic slowdown.

Stocks Tumble As Coronavirus Cases Spike Again In U.S. And Europe

Jim Zarroli

Investors are also discouraged by the lack of progress in talks between Congress and the White House over another coronavirus relief bill.

Wall Street Is A Big Source Of Campaign Cash For Democrats

Jim Zarroli

The two major political parties raise money differently. Republicans tend to get more money from older industries such as energy and manufacturing. Democrats do better with technology and health care.

The government shortfall for the fiscal year that just ended is far greater than was seen during the height of the Great Recession. The national debt now exceeds the size of the U.S. economy.

$3.1 Trillion: Pandemic Spending Drives The Federal Budget Deficit To A Record

Jim Zarroli

The government shortfall for the fiscal year that just ended was more than triple that of 2019. The national debt of $21 trillion now exceeds the size of the U.S. economy.

What Banks' 3rd-Quarter Reports Might Reveal About The State Of The U.S. Economy

Jim Zarroli

This week major banks are expected to reveal profits in the third quarter of 2020. This data will shed light on how much the pandemic has affected consumer borrowing and spending.