Congressional Stock Trading Performance in 2026: Who Trades and Makes the Most
In 2025, members of Congress disclosed 14,451 stock trades worth about $720 million. Only 32% of members beat the S&P 500’s 16.6% return, yet trading activity still jumped 47% from 2024. Below, the tables and charts are the primary “linkable” assets, followed by plain-English commentary that explains what the numbers suggest.
Methodology note: These figures are based on publicly available congressional disclosure data aggregated by third-party trackers. Because many trades are reported in value ranges, midpoint estimates are commonly used for totals.
Key Takeaways
- Congress disclosed 14,451 trades worth roughly $720M in 2025, but only 32% of members beat the S&P 500.
- Trading activity rose sharply versus 2024, and the biggest wins tend to align with concentrated exposure rather than sheer trade volume.
- Late disclosures remain a major transparency gap, and crypto trading continues to intensify conflict-of-interest concerns.
TABLE 1: Congressional Trading Activity (2021–2025)
| Year | Total Trades | Disclosed Volume | Active Members | S&P 500 Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,413 | $583.98M | 138 | 26.9% |
| 2022 | 14,752 | $610.77M | 154 | -18.1% |
| 2023 | 11,253 | $890.89M | 131 | 24.2% |
| 2024 | 9,812 | $724.41M | 125 | 23.3% |
| 2025 | 14,451 | $720.42M | 140 | 16.6% |
Total Congressional Stock Trades per Year (2021–2025)
Line chart of disclosed trade counts. Values: 2021 (10,413), 2022 (14,752), 2023 (11,253), 2024 (9,812), 2025 (14,451).
Two numbers summarize the rebound: active members rose from 125 in 2024 to 140 in 2025, and total trades climbed from 9,812 to 14,451.
Top 10 Congressional Portfolio Returns in 2025
| Rank | Member | Party | State | Return | vs S&P 500 | Key Holdings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren Davidson | R | OH | 78.8% | +62.2% | GE, GE Vernova |
| 2 | Donald Norcross | D | NJ | 70.8% | +54.2% | Cigna, TD Bank |
| 3 | Terri Sewell | D | AL | 67.9% | +51.3% | NVIDIA |
| 4 | Bryan Steil | R | WI | 62.5% | +45.9% | Caterpillar, GE, Ford |
| 5 | Alex Padilla | D | CA | 61.7% | +45.1% | ETF Portfolio |
| 6 | Nick LaLota | R | NY | 61.6% | +45.0% | Various |
| 7 | Rick Scott | R | FL | 54.8% | +38.2% | Healthcare |
| 8 | Michael Guest | R | MS | 52.5% | +35.9% | Technology |
| 9 | Tom McClintock | R | CA | 50.0% | +33.4% | Industrials |
| 10 | Dwight Evans | D | PA | 41.9% | +25.3% | Various |
Top 10 Congressional Portfolio Returns vs. S&P 500 (2025)
Bars show disclosed portfolio returns. Dashed line marks the S&P 500 return (16.6%).
Top Performer Insights
The simplest throughline is concentration: the biggest gains tend to be linked to a small set of standout holdings. Warren Davidson (R-OH) led with 78.8% alongside GE and GE Vernova. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) posted 70.8% with a simple mix (Cigna and TD Bank). Terri Sewell (D-AL) delivered 67.9% with NVIDIA among key holdings.
Another pattern is behavioral: the highest returns don’t require being the most active trader. In the top 10, only a minority are described as frequent traders, which aligns with a classic investing lesson—holding the right winners can matter more than constant switching.
Bottom 10 Congressional Portfolio Returns in 2025
| Rank | Member | Party/State | Return (2025) | vs S&P 500 | Key holding noted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chip Roy | R-TX | -59.0% | -75.6 pp | Atlas Energy Solutions |
| 2 | Jim McGovern | D-MA | -33.9% | -50.5 pp | Owens Corning |
| 3 | Pete Stauber | R-MN | -26.9% | -43.5 pp | Newell Brands |
| 4 | Aaron Bean | R-FL | -22.2% | -38.8 pp | Various |
| 5 | Nellie Pou | D-NJ | -21.0% | -37.6 pp | Various |
| 6 | Bob Latta | R-OH | -12.8% | -29.4 pp | Various |
| 7 | Tim Moore | R-NC | -11.9% | -28.5 pp | Various |
| 8 | Andrew Garbarino | R-NY | -10.9% | -27.5 pp | Various |
| 9 | Carlos A. Giménez | R-FL | -9.6% | -26.2 pp | Various |
| 10 | Jasmine Crockett | D-TX | -4.0% | -20.6 pp | Various |
The largest underperformance comes from Chip Roy (R-TX) at -59.0% (a -75.6 point gap vs. the S&P 500), tied to Atlas Energy Solutions. Pete Stauber (R-MN) also posted a steep decline (-26.9%) after a Newell Brands position.
Most Active Traders: Why “More Trades” Isn’t the Same as “Better Returns”
A high trade count can reflect rebalancing, diversification, or a managed account, so it’s best read as a behavior metric, not a skill metric.
- Ro Khanna (D‑CA) : 4,284 trades, 579 unique stocks, $59.57M disclosed volume. Note: Wife’s managed portfolio.
- Lisa McClain (R‑MI): 1,381 trades, 449 unique stocks, $12.84M disclosed volume. Note: 504 late disclosures.
- Michael McCaul (R‑TX): 1,059 trades, 295 unique stocks, $79.73M disclosed volume. Note: Semiconductor Caucus co-chair.
- Gil Cisneros (D‑CA): 826 trades, 362 unique stocks, $22.36M disclosed volume.
- Rob Bresnahan (R‑PA): 648 trades, 317 unique stocks, $8.25M disclosed volume.
- Jefferson Shreve (R‑IN): 625 trades, 305 unique stocks, $150.90M disclosed volume.
- Julie Johnson (D‑TX) :507 trades, 229 unique stocks, $4.23M disclosed volume.
- Richard Blumenthal (D‑CT): 450 trades, 22 unique stocks, $85.71M disclosed volume. Note: Concentrated positions.
- Josh Gottheimer (D‑NJ): 391 trades, 180 unique stocks, $20.13M disclosed volume.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA): 288 trades, 83 unique stocks, $4.85M disclosed volume.
- Ro Khanna (D‑CA) stands out: 4,284 trades across 579 unique stocks, nearly 3× more than the next most active member, yet he still underperformed the market in 2025.
Ro Khanna (D‑CA) stands out: 4,284 trades across 579 unique stocks, nearly 3× more than the next most active member, yet he still underperformed the market in 2025.
Most Traded Stocks by Congress in 2025
| Rank | Stock | Bought | Sold | Net | 2025 performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphabet (GOOG) | $3.8M | $8.2M | -$4.4M (net sell) | +35.7% |
| 2 | NVIDIA (NVDA) | $11.6M | $4.6M | +$7.0M (net buy) | +171.2% |
| 3 | Microsoft (MSFT) | $6.6M | $5.7M | +$0.9M (net buy) | +11.8% |
| 4 | Amazon (AMZN) | $3.9M | $1.9M | +$2.0M (net buy) | +44.6% |
| 5 | Apple (AAPL) | $3.7M | $3.8M | -$0.1M (net sell) | +30.9% |
A quick read: Congress was a net buyer of NVIDIA (+$7.0M) and a net seller of Alphabet (-$4.4M).
Sector Positioning: Net Selling Across Every Major Sector
Aggregated by sector, Congress shows net selling across every major sector in 2025 (sold > bought). That pattern suggests a broadly defensive tilt and rotation.
Congressional Net Stock Flows by Sector — 2025
| Sector | Net Flow (Bought − Sold) | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Services | -$13.2M | Largest net exit; broad de-risking from banks and financial firms |
| Communication Services | -$6.5M | Reduced exposure to media and platform companies |
| Consumer Cyclical | -$5.8M | Pullback from discretionary spending–linked stocks |
| Industrials | -$5.1M | Net selling despite infrastructure and reshoring themes |
| Consumer Defensive | -$5.1M | Rotation out of staples and low-volatility names |
| Healthcare | -$5.0M | Net selling across pharmaceuticals and providers |
| Technology | -$3.5M | Overall net selling despite selective semiconductor buying |
| Energy | -$1.6M | Light profit-taking after prior commodity strength |
| Basic Materials | -$1.0M | Minor net exit; relatively neutral positioning |
| Real Estate | -$0.3M | Minimal change; lowest net movement across sectors |
Party Performance: Close to the Benchmark, Different Net Positioning
Average returns stayed close to the market. Republicans averaged 17.3% versus Democrats at 14.4%, with the S&P 500 at 16.6%.
| Party | Avg Return | vs S&P 500 | % Beat Market | Total Bought | Total Sold | Net Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 14.4% | -2.2 pp | 28% | $130.8M | $100.0M | +$30.8M (risk-on) |
| Republicans | 17.3% | +0.7 pp | 35% | $194.6M | $197.4M | -$2.8M (risk-off) |
| S&P 500 | 16.6% | — | — | — | — | Benchmark |
Net positioning diverged: Democrats were net buyers (+$30.8M), while Republicans were modest net sellers (-$2.8M) and reported shifts into bonds ($48M), municipal securities ($29M), and crypto purchases totaling $2.9M.
Conflicts of Interest: Trading What Lawmakers Oversee
The core criticism of congressional trading is structural: members can trade companies and sectors their committees regulate. This is especially sensitive in policy-heavy areas like semiconductors, defense, healthcare, and social platforms.
Examples highlighted include semiconductor-related holdings (including NVIDIA), social media trades during TikTok-related policy debates, and defense stocks held by members with national security committee roles.
Late Disclosures: STOCK Act Compliance Remains a Weak Point
The STOCK Act requires disclosures within 45 days. In 2025, more than 1,200 trades across 40+ members were disclosed late—including some delays exceeding 900 days.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) at 953 days;
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) at 917 days for 33 transactions;
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) disclosing 504 transactions in one day (August 2025).
Enforcement note: Reported fines are often small (commonly cited around $200), which critics argue does not function as a real deterrent.
Cryptocurrency Trading Surges
Crypto is one of the clearest partisan splits in the dataset: Republicans purchased $2.9M in cryptocurrency in 2025, while Democrats made minimal purchases.
A headline timeline: Rep. Brandon Gill purchased $2.5M in Bitcoin on July 10, 2025; voted “Yea” on major crypto bills on July 17; and the GENIUS Act was signed on July 18.
What’s Next: Momentum for a Congressional Trading Ban
In July 2025, a Senate committee advanced legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress (and spouses/dependents, plus future presidents and vice presidents), though it had not yet received a full Senate vote at the time of reporting.
Polling support is high: a University of Maryland survey (2023) reports 86% overall support for a ban—84% Republicans, 87% Democrats, and 87% Independents. Joe Biden also endorsed a ban in January 2025.
FAQ’s
How are these returns calculated? Returns are estimated from publicly disclosed holdings and year-end portfolio changes. This approach is conservative and may understate actual performance.
Are the dollar amounts exact? Not always. Many disclosures are reported in value ranges, so midpoint estimates are commonly used for aggregation.
Does trading more imply better investing? Not reliably. High trade counts can reflect managed accounts, diversification, or rebalancing—not necessarily better timing or superior information.
Sources
Unusual Whales Congress Trading Report 2025 (January 2026)
Capitol Trades Database (2026)
Quiver Quantitative Congress Trading Dashboard (2025)
U.S. House Office of the Clerk – Financial Disclosures
U.S. Senate Office of Public Records
The New York Times investigative reporting (2022-2023)
ProPublica investigative reporting (2020)
Newsweek political coverage (2023)
Congressional Research Service – STOCK Act Compliance
University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation (2023)