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.

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.