U.S. stocks drifted lower Monday ahead of a momentous week full of potential flashpoints in Washington, D.C., and around the world. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, though it remains near its record set last month.

Risk appetite returned with gluttonous abandon on Wednesday, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 3% to 18,983 and the small-cap Russell 2000 popped nearly 6%. The blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 3.6%, or 1,508 points to 43,729, while the broader S&P 500 rose 2.5% to 5,929.

Markets worldwide have been fixated on what the election will mean for U.S. economic, monetary and trade policy, as well as geopolitics.

Asian shares were mostly higher on Wednesday after stocks on Wall Street rallied as Americans cast votes in a pivotal national election. The results of Tuesday’s presidential election may not be known for days or weeks as officials count all the votes,

A growing number of Wall Street strategists are predicting that a decision in the US presidential election will set the stage for stocks to rally into the end of 2024, building on a 21% gain this year for the S&P 500 Index.

U.S. stock index futures were steady on Tuesday ahead of election day voting, with traders girding up for volatile trading over the coming few sessions until a clear winner is declared. Both Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris predicted victory in the final day of campaigning,