Though the United States is home to the two largest stock exchanges in the world—the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq—not all Americans invest in them. In fact, according to an April 2022 Gallup poll, just 58% of Americans own stock. American stock owners tend to be older, wealthier, and whiter than the average citizen—much like the U.S. Congress, which is similarly less diverse than the electorate.
Considering this, it's perhaps no surprise that some U.S. senators are investors in the stock market. Unlike the average citizen, however, senators are subject to extra scrutiny around their investments. The STOCK Act—which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2012—requires senators to disclose purchases, sales, or exchanges of any stock, bond, commodities future, or other securities above $1,000 within 30 days of the transaction.
Some in Congress are pushing for even more transparency around Congressional investments: a bipartisan group of lawmakers have proposed several bills that would require members of Congress to place their assets in a blind trust managed by an outside party during their term, though the bills lack leadership support.
Investigating required Senate stock disclosure data can reveal some interesting tidbits about how each lawmaker navigates the stock market. Stacker examined the data for 2022 to see which lawmakers have been the most prolific traders so far in 2022. The trades—which senators are required to report—were filed between January 2022 and June 16, 2022. Total trades include the number of stocks, bonds, and other securities bought and sold during that time, owned by the lawmaker, their spouse, or (in rare cases) their children.
Because the disclosure forms only offer a purchase range and not a true price, Stacker calculated the total range by adding the minimum and maximum ranges for each trade. In the case of a tie, the dollar range of the lawmakers' trades was used if applicable. Out of the 100 sitting U.S. senators, 20 have reported trades above $1,000 so far this year. Keep reading to learn more about their investments.
