Wall Street’s Take on the 2008 Candidates

Greg Valliere of the Stanford Group, an institutional research firm, weighs in on the markets and the 2008 race:

Hillary Clinton: If markets hate uncertainty, there's one big advantage that Clinton brings—what you see is what you get. We doubt that there will be many surprises: higher taxes and a tougher regulatory policy, but with a clear move toward the center on issues such as trade once she wins the nomination.... Clinton's chief economic adviser, Gene Sperling, is a moderate and pragmatic Democrat.

Barack Obama: He's a Rorschach ink blot right now, something for everyone. But we offer this observation: based on his recent endorsements, Obama is becoming the candidate of the left wing—perhaps the far left wing....

John McCain: You'd think a fairly conservative Republican would be Wall Street's darling—but did you hear McCain's crack about "punishing" Wall Street in last week's debate?... He has always been considered a "root canal" Republican, obsessed with deficits and cutting spending, and ambivalent about tax cuts. McCain says he now favors extending the Bush tax cuts, but we're skeptical.... The one candidate who would be best for the markets, of course, is Romney—who understands the investment business and how the economy works. But Romney probably will be on life support after Super Tuesday....