With the 2012 elections now over, one major unknown for investors has been answered. Obama's re-election will have a significant impact on many industries and investors need to take this into account when making investment decisions.It is now likely that income tax rates on dividend income will increase dramatically. This will hurt stocks, like utilities, that investors seek out for their dividend income. Technology companies, which typically don't pay dividends, won't be impacted by this and will likely continue to perform as expected. Energy and financial services sectors can now expect a continuation of increased regulations, which will impact future growth and stock prices for companies in these sectors.Learn more at MarketWatch.com

Photo credit: Getty Images