Congressional Trading Disclosures: What They Are and How Enki Uses Them

What the STOCK Act Requires

The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act (STOCK Act), passed in 2012, requires members of Congress and senior government officials to disclose stock trades within 45 days of the transaction. The disclosures are public — anyone can see them.

The data includes: who traded, what they traded (stock or option), whether it was a buy or sell, the approximate size of the transaction, and the date.

Why This Data Is Interesting

Congress members have access to information before the public. They sit on committees that regulate industries. They receive classified briefings. They vote on legislation that moves markets.

Whether they trade on non-public information is illegal under the STOCK Act, but enforcement has been limited. The academic research on congressional trading shows consistent outperformance versus market benchmarks — particularly in sectors regulated by the committees members sit on.

This doesn't mean copying every congressional trade is a good strategy. Many disclosures are delayed 45 days, which is a long lag in fast-moving markets. Many trades are routine financial planning, not information-driven.

But the data is a signal worth incorporating.

How Enki Uses Congressional Disclosure Data

Enki monitors public disclosure filings and uses congressional trades as one of seven signals in its confidence scoring model. A congressional buy in a specific sector or company adds a small confidence boost — not enough to trigger a trade on its own, but meaningful when combined with technical indicators showing the same direction.

Similarly, congressional sells in a position Enki holds can contribute to a sell signal.

The weight given to this signal is calibrated against historical performance. It's a supporting signal, not the primary trigger.

The Data Sources

Congressional disclosure data is available from:

These sources are public and updated as disclosures are filed.

Important Context

Congressional trading is a signal, not a guarantee. Disclosures are delayed up to 45 days — a lot can happen in that window. Some members make dozens of trades that look random. Others make concentrated bets that appear more deliberate.

Enki treats this as one data point among seven. No single signal drives a trade. All seven must align to push confidence above the 6/10 execution threshold.