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Congressional stock trading has fallen off sharply this year, according to an analysis by a popular financial news site and some insiders believe its because US lawmakers are feeling heat from a possible legislative clampdown.

The volume of stock trades made by members of Congress tumbled more than 75% in the nine months of this year to just 1,800 trades versus 8,000 a year earlier, according to data from Unusual Whales. 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made just six trades this year as a congresswoman representing San Francisco. Those include selling Roblox shares, buying Apple and Microsoft shares and acquiring a stake in a luxury hotel, according to recent filings.

Thats a steep dropoff from the 39 trades she made in 2022, the 24 trades she made in 2021, and the 38 trades she made in 2020.

A spokesperson for Pelosi did not respond to a request for comment.

While the markets have been bumpy this year, overall trading volume is down just 10%, according to CBOE data, versus the three-quarters plunge inside Congress.

Passing legislation, sources say, is critical to keep Congress from trading again.

If a movement doesnt turn into a law, Congress isnt going to remain scared, Jeff Hauser, founder of nonprofit watchdog the Revolving Door Project, said. The combination of a bill that could pass and the broader conversation acts as a deterrent.

Ethics experts say the another reason may simply be that members dont feel the trades are worth the trouble anymore.

Federal Reserve governors Eric Rosengren and Robert Kaplan resigned after scrutiny of their trades. Now-retired Sen. Richard Burr stepped down as Chair of the Intelligence Committee and now-ex-Sen. James Inhofe resigned after scrutiny of trades. 

It may not be worth the grief, Charles Stewart III, a political science professor at MIT, told On The Money.

The founder of Unusual Whales, who prefers to remain anonymous, notes that members of Congress have lately been far more diligent about filing their trades quickly. The STOCK Act requires members to file their trades within 45 days but members of Congress like Pelosi lately are filing within just a few days.

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There is limited upside and maybe a lot of downside to congressional trading these days, agrees Thomas Hayes, chairman at Great Hill Capital. Shining a light on this has played a big role.

Another issue: Some of the most lucrative, valuable stocks like Google and Amazon which Pelosi had snatched up are presenting an even greater conflict of interest than they did previously.

The tech high flyers that many members wanted to trade in are politically fraught these days a reference to lawsuits both Google and Amazon are facing, Stewart adds.

While some applaud the recent trend, others are more cautious and note stronger laws against stock trading need to be codified. 

Attention helps and attention makes transparency more effective, Jeff Hauser, founder of nonprofit watchdog the Revolving Door Project, said. But even more effective than transparency is strict rules.

As for the question of whether regulators will ever be willing to regulate themselves, the answer is almost always no. Still, Hauser is optimistic that with enough sticks not to mention the dwindling supply of carrots lawmakers could eventually succumb. 

If the momentum grows big enough, it could pass, Hauser said. And it only has to pass one time.

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

A dump truck moves raw ore inside the pit at the Mountain Pass mine, operated by MP Materials, in Mountain Pass, California, U.S., on Friday, June 7, 2019.

Joe Buglewicz | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of U.S. rare earth miners surged in early trading Monday, after President Donald Trump threatened China with retaliation over its strict export controls.

USA Rare Earth soared more than 18%, Critical Metals surged 18%, Energy Fuels jumped more than 11%, and MP Materials rallied about 8%.

Trump on Friday threatened China with a “massive” increase in tariffs in retaliation for Beijing imposing strict export controls on rare earth elements. The president then dialed down his rhetoric on Sunday, saying the situation with China will “be fine.”

The Defense Department, meanwhile, is accelerating its effort to stockpile $1 billion worth of critical minerals, according to The Financial Times.

And JPMorgan Chase said Monday it would invest up to $10 billion in companies that are crucial to U.S. national security.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in press release.

Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals that are crucial inputs in U.S. weapons platforms, robotics, electric vehicles and other applications.

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

Bloom Energy power storage equipment in San Ramon, California.

Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Shares of Bloom Energy surged Monday after striking a deal with Brookfield to deploy fuel cells for artificial intelligence data centers.

Brookfield will spend up to $5 billion to deploy Bloom Energy’s technology, the first investment in its strategy to support big AI data centers with power and computing infrastructure.

Shares of Bloom Energy were up more than 30% in early trading. Bloom’s fuel cells provide onsite power that can be deployed quickly because they do not rely on the electric grid.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC last week that the AI industry will need to build power off the electric to meet demand quickly and protect consumers from rising electricity prices.

“Data center self-generated power could move a lot faster than putting it on the grid and we have to do that,” Huang told CNBC on Oct. 8.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest  billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase on Monday said it is launching a decade-long plan to help finance and take direct stakes in companies it considers crucial to U.S. interests.

The bank said in a statement it would invest up to $10 billion into companies in four areas: defense and aerospace, “frontier” technologies including AI and quantum computing, energy technology including batteries, and supply chain and advanced manufacturing.

The money is part of a broader effort, dubbed the Security and Resiliency Initiative, in which JPMorgan said it will finance or facilitate $1.5 trillion in funding for companies it identifies as crucial. It said the total amount is 50% more than a previous plan.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in the release.

As the biggest American bank by assets and a Wall Street juggernaut, JPMorgan was already raising funds and lending money to companies in those industries. But the move helps organize the company’s activities around national interests at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China.

On Friday, markets tumbled as President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports after the major U.S. trading partner tightened export controls on rare earths.

In the release, Dimon said that the U.S. needs to “remove obstacles” including excessive regulations, “bureaucratic delay” and “partisan gridlock.”

JPMorgan said that within the four major areas, there were 27 specific industries it would look to support with advice, financing and investments. That includes areas as diverse as nanomaterials, autonomous robots, spacecraft and space launches, and nuclear and solar power.

“Our security is predicated on the strength and resiliency of America’s economy,” Dimon said. “This new initiative includes efforts like ensuring reliable access to life-saving medicines and critical minerals, defending our nation, building energy systems to meet AI-driven demand and advancing technologies like semiconductors and data centers.”

The bank said it would hire an unspecified numbers of bankers and create an external advisory council to support its initiative.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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