Next week, Americans will choose a new president. While that might cause you some anxiety, it’s important to keep your paws off your investments. According to TD research, the stock market tends to perform better under Democratic presidents — but that might have to do more with good timing than the candidates themselves. Democrats often get elected when the economy is doing well, and when the economy isn’t doing so hot, voters then typically start to lean right. While presidents can influence the economy with policies, at the end of the day, their impact on the stock market is often seen as marginal (even if they do take credit for good performance). Instead, larger forces, like macroeconomic trends and global events, shape long-term market performance. If you look at performance during political regimes, the S&P 500 has gone up most of the time since 1901, no matter who’s in the Oval Office. While the stakes of the upcoming U.S. election are high, remember the stock market rarely cares about who's in charge.