Obama wins

Debates and attack ads aside, the U.S. presidential election remains too close to call -- all the more reason for investors to position themselves to profit whether Mitt Romney or President Barack Obama wins in November.

As we noted last month when we looked at stocks to own if Romney wins, certain industries tend to perform better under Republican policies, others under Democrats.

Here's a look at six stocks that would benefit if President Obama wins Election 2012.

Health Care Stocks Helped by an Obama Win

No matter what, one of the top issues will continue to be health care, with a particular focus on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) - otherwise known as "Obamacare."

Unless the Republicans sweep both houses of Congress and win the White House, Obamacare will remain the law of the land.

Large hospital chains benefit from the survival of Obamacare because it expands health coverage to millions of previously uninsured individuals, including those with pre-existing conditions. That will significantly reduce the burden on hospital emergency rooms, which must now treat these patients even if they can't pay.

While such major hospital operators as Tenet Healthcare Corp. (NYSE: THC) and Community Health Systems (NYSE: CYH) would get a lift from this, a better choice in this sector is:

• Health Management Associates Inc. (NYSE: HMA), recent price $8.16 - HMA operates 66 hospitals with more than 10,300 beds, most of them located across the South and in Appalachia, where the current percentage of uninsured patients is among the highest in the country. Increased reimbursements under Obamacare could spark a turnaround in HMA revenues and earnings, which have fallen in four of the last five quarters, slipping from 20 cents a share in the second quarter of 2011 to just 16 cents in Q2 2012. The stock pays no dividend, but offers good growth potential since its current price is well off the five-year high of $11.32 set in April 2011.

Other winners under Obamacare would be companies that receive large research and/or specialized treatment grants from government agencies. The National Institute of Health (NIH), for instance, could see budget cuts of 5% or more if Romney wins and begins to rein in discretionary federal spending.

A good bet in this category is: