US stock markets rally after Democrats win control of Congress

United States stock markets rose sharply after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, outlets reported. UPI reported that the stock market experienced its best day since April 2025 on Wednesday. Democratic victories were also reported by Al Jazeera, BBC News, The Guardian, thejournal.ie, Reuters, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. [1][2][3][4][5][8][9][10]

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained more than 1,500 points, or roughly 3.03 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.44 percent and the S&P 500 increased by 1.59 percent, according to UPI. Bank of America gained 4 percent, Walmart climbed 3 percent, Centene rose 5 percent, HCA Healthcare advanced 7.16 percent, and First Solar gained 8.5 percent. Reuters and Yahoo Finance reported that data center stocks tumbled, while energy stocks fell sharply on both sides of the Atlantic, according to The Guardian. [1][4][8][12]

European stock markets also advanced following the election results, according to The Guardian. The FTSE 100 index in London gained 207 points to reach 10,845, a rise of nearly 2 percent. The Dax in Frankfurt had a similar gain, while French and Italian markets rose by more than 2 percent and the Spanish index jumped 3.2 percent. [4]

Democrats campaigned on lowering healthcare, grocery, and petrol costs, ending the war on Iran, and pushing back against President Donald Trump on tariffs and immigration, Al Jazeera and BBC News reported. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, "Today begins the great American comeback." Al Jazeera and irishtimes.com noted that Democratic majorities can challenge the Trump administration using subpoenas and confirmation votes. [2][3][6][7]

Democrats will formally take control of Congress in January, Al Jazeera and BBC News reported. However, Al Jazeera noted that most bills will require 60 votes to pass without Republican cooperation, and BBC News reported that President Trump retains veto power over legislation. [2][3]