One Lawmaker Did 74% of All Congressional Stock Trades This Week

The trading week of August 28 through September 4 produced 38 trades from five lawmakers. One of them, Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK), accounted for 28 of those trades, or 74% of the total. That concentration is the highest in any week we have tracked this year.

Kevin Hern: 28 trades, all sells

Hern, the Oklahoma Republican who chairs the Republican Study Committee, filed 28 transactions, every one a sale. His portfolio activity spanned 23 different stocks, with the largest positions in technology and industrial names. He sold shares of NVIDIA (NVDA) three times during the week, and also unloaded positions in Apple (AAPL), Boeing (BA), and Procter & Gamble (PG). Hern has been a frequent trader in past quarters, but this week's volume is unusually high even for him. His filings did not include any purchases, a pattern that suggests a broader portfolio rebalancing rather than a bet on any single sector.

Sheldon Whitehouse: 5 trades, all sells

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Finance and Environment and Public Works Committees, filed five sell transactions. He sold shares of Veralto Corporation (VLTO) three times, reducing his stake in the water technology company. Whitehouse also sold positions in two other firms, though the details of those transactions are listed in the appended data table. His activity this week continues a pattern of trimming holdings; he has not reported a purchase since May.

John McGuire and Michael Rulli: two trades each

Representative John J. McGuire III (R-VA), a freshman on the House Armed Services Committee, filed two sell transactions. He sold shares of a defense contractor and a financial services firm. McGuire's trading history is limited, but this week's sales align with a broader trend among freshmen lawmakers to liquidate holdings acquired before taking office.

Representative Michael A. Rulli (R-OH), who sits on the House Agriculture Committee, also filed two trades, both sells. He offloaded shares in a consumer staples company and a healthcare firm. Rulli has been a sporadic trader since his election in 2024, and this week's activity is his first reported since June.

Cleo Fields: one buy in a sea of sells

Representative Cleo Fields (D-LA), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, was the only lawmaker to file a purchase this week. He bought shares of Apple (AAPL), adding to a position he has held since 2023. The buy is notable because it comes in a week where 36 of 38 trades were sells. Fields has been a consistent buyer of Apple stock over the past year, and this purchase fits that pattern.

Stocks in focus: Veralto, NVIDIA, and others

The most traded stock of the week was Veralto Corporation (VLTO), with three sell trades, all from Whitehouse. Veralto, which spun off from Danaher in 2023, has been a frequent holding among lawmakers on the Environment and Public Works Committee, given its focus on water quality and sustainability.

NVIDIA (NVDA) also saw three sell trades, all from Hern. The semiconductor giant has been a popular stock among members of Congress for years, and Hern's sales reduce his exposure to the sector. Procter & Gamble (PG), Apple (AAPL), and Boeing (BA) each saw two trades, with Apple being the only stock with both a buy and a sell.

The bigger picture

The week's 38 trades are below the 2026 weekly average of 52, but the sell-to-buy ratio of 18:1 is extreme. Sells have outpaced buys in most weeks this year, but rarely by this margin. The STOCK Act requires lawmakers to disclose trades within 45 days, so some of this week's filings may cover transactions made in late July. The data table appended below includes the full list of trades, including any late filings.

For a running list of all transactions, see the latest congressional trades page.

Most active members this week

Most traded stocks

Largest trades of the week