What is a congressional-trade signal?
A congressional-trade signal is a scored event derived from the periodic transaction reports (PTRs) that U.S. members of Congress must file under the STOCK Act, disclosing their and their households’ securities trades.
A disclosed purchase by a member of Congress leans bullish and a disclosed sale leans bearish, weighted by the reported trade-size band. Because the STOCK Act only requires disclosure within broad value ranges and up to 45 days after the trade, these are treated as context, not precision signals.
What the STOCK Act requires
The 2012 STOCK Act requires members of Congress to publicly report securities transactions over $1,000, generally within 30 to 45 days. Amounts are disclosed in ranges (for example $1,001–$15,000), not exact figures, which is why the platform scores by band rather than precise dollars.
Why people watch it
Congressional trading draws attention because members can have access to industry briefings and pending legislation. The signal surfaces these disclosures in a structured, searchable form, with each trade linked to the affected stock — while making the reporting lag and range-based amounts explicit.
Recent examples
Live congressional-trade signals from the platform, newest first. Each links to the company.
| Asset | Direction | Strength | What happened | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | bearish | 7 | 3 unique members selling NVDA with estimated total value of $40,002.5. Party breakdown: Unknown: 5. | 2026-07-08 |
| — | bearish | 7 | 3 unique members selling INTU with estimated total value of $48,501.5. Party breakdown: Unknown: 3. | 2026-07-08 |
| — | bearish | 8 | 3 unique members selling ACN with estimated total value of $56,502. Party breakdown: Unknown: 4. | 2026-07-08 |
| — | bearish | 8 | 3 unique members selling GOOGL with estimated total value of $64,502.5. Party breakdown: Unknown: 5. | 2026-07-08 |
| — | bearish | 8 | 3 unique members selling IBM with estimated total value of $154,003.5. Party breakdown: Unknown: 7. | 2026-07-08 |
| — | bullish | 8 | 3 unique members purchasing IBM with estimated total value of $154,003.5. Party breakdown: Unknown: 7. | 2026-07-08 |
See these in context in the daily market digest . Market context, not advice.
Frequently asked
- Is congressional trading a reliable predictor?
- It is context, not a guarantee. Disclosures are delayed up to 45 days and reported only in value ranges, so the signal is best used alongside other, faster signals rather than on its own.
- Whose trades are included?
- Members of Congress and, under the STOCK Act, transactions by their spouses and dependent children above the reporting threshold.
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