Over 70 million Americans have already cast their votes, and millions more will head to the polls on Nov. 3. The results will decide which party controls the White House and Congress. They could also change the political dynamics in individual states, as state-level offices and initiatives are on many ballots.
But voting won't change everything. These three stocks will be buys no matter what happens in the 2020 election.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Brookfield Renewable
Renewable energy is here to stay, no matter which political party is in power. Wind and solar are already more cost-effective than fossil-fuel alternatives. Countries around the world and several large U.S. states have established aggressive carbon emission reduction targets.
Renewable energy stocks should thus be well-positioned for success no matter what happens on Election Day. That's great news for Brookfield Renewable (BEP 3.04%) (BEPC 2.53%). It's one of the top renewable energy companies in the world, operating hydroelectric, wind, solar, and storage facilities across North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.
Brookfield Renewable is also in great shape to weather the storm during both good and bad economies. Since the current recession started, renewable power generation has increased by 14%, while overall U.S. electricity generation fell 5%. Renewable power demand should jump even higher as the economy improves.
The company expects to deliver annual total returns of 12% to 15% over the long run. That should be quite attainable for Brookfield considering the bright future for renewable energy and the company's substantial development pipeline.
2. Innovative Industrial Properties
There's another kind of green trend gaining ground in the U.S.: the expansion of the cannabis market. Thirty-three states have legalized medical cannabis already, with 11 of those also allowing legal recreational marijuana. Those numbers could increase after Nov. 3 as five states vote on marijuana legalization. The presidential and congressional election results could also set the stage for changes to federal cannabis laws.
Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR 2.07%) will almost certainly continue to prosper even if marijuana legalization efforts flop and candidates in favor of cannabis reform lose. However, IIP will have more opportunities for expansion if the elections ultimately lead to the legalization of medical cannabis at the federal level.
The company's business model involves buying properties from medical cannabis operators, then leasing the properties back to the operators. This gives IIP a steady revenue stream and helps the cannabis companies raise additional capital. To continue delivering tremendous growth, IIP just needs to keep buying and leasing additional properties, which shouldn't be very hard to do.
As a real estate investment trust (REIT), IIP must return at least 90% of its taxable income to shareholders through dividends. As the company's profits have soared, so have its dividends, which have jumped 368% in the last three years. IIP's dividend currently yields close to 4%. With this yield and strong growth prospects regardless of the election outcomes, IIP should provide investors a win-win opportunity.
3. The Trade Desk
Do American streaming-TV habits depend on which candidate wins the presidential race? Of course not. The rise of connected TV (CTV) is an unstoppable trend, which means an increase in CTV advertising is also unstoppable.
The Trade Desk (TTD 5.02%) stands ready to benefit as the leading software platform for advertising buyers to place digital ads. CTV is a huge tailwind for The Trade Desk. The growth in advertising on apps such as TikTok has also helped the company.
There's another important angle to these trends, though. CTV and apps give The Trade Desk much more data about which ads are most effective for which targeted demographic groups than nondigital ads do. The company can use this data to help advertisers maximize the return on investment on their ad spending, making The Trade Desk's platform even more attractive.
Shares of The Trade Desk have skyrocketed nearly 1,900% over the last five years and are up more than 120% so far in 2020. No matter which party emerges victorious on Nov. 3, The Trade Desk should be a winner over the next four years and beyond.
