During his first year in office, President Donald Trump's investment advisers executed more than 21,000 securities trades, according to his annual financial report. This activity resulted in holdings worth at least $858 million across approximately 1,600 companies. This level of trading is notable compared to previous presidents, who typically divested their holdings or invested in diversified mutual funds. In contrast, President Joe Biden made only 13 stock trades during his presidency.
The report indicates that Trump's advisers conducted more trades than in previous years, with only 86 transactions reported in 2017. Trump's portfolio includes investments in companies with government contracts, such as Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Intel, and Nvidia, which has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest among critics.
On July 23, 2025, the same day the White House announced its "AI Action Plan," Trump reportedly invested between $1-5 million in six companies, including Amazon and Microsoft, that are involved in AI. The timing of these trades in relation to the announcement remains unclear.
Trump has defended his trading practices, stating that he benefits from the overall growth of the stock market. He has also been known to trade stocks that are affected by his social media activity. For instance, prior to publicly endorsing Palantir, his advisers purchased between $200,000 and $680,000 of its stock, which he later sold for between $1-5 million. His public endorsements have coincided with significant movements in stock prices, suggesting a strategic approach to trading during market volatility.