Citadel Securities’ Scott Rubner sees AI stocks rebounding after the midterms

Scott Rubner, head of equity and derivatives strategy at Citadel Securities, says AI stocks may outperform once the US midterm elections are behind us. Many of his clients, he says, are holding off on buying until the votes are counted. The election as a risk filter Rubner made his case on Bloomberg Television on October 20, 2026. He described the midterms as a “clearing event for risk.” His view is that AI stocks have lagged because of broader market instability, not because the underlying story fell apart. Once the election resolves a key source of uncertainty, he expects that lag to unwind. Rubner also pointed to support beyond the vote itself. Corporate buybacks and third-quarter earnings season are projected to bolster demand starting in early November. Retail investors aren’t waiting Not everyone is sitting on their hands. Retail traders on Citadel’s platform recently net bought $9.1 billion of US equities. That was the largest net buying week in 15 weeks. Much of the activity leaned heavily toward AI-related stocks. Semiconductors were the clear favorite. Of the total net purchases, $2.6 billion went specifically into chip stocks. There is an interesting split here. Rubner’s...