Congress Is Dumping These 5 Stocks—Should You Follow?

Key Points

• Congress members sold stocks like Microsoft and Alphabet in the first half, suggesting headwinds for these markets in the second. 
• Mitigating factors include buying in some names that offset the impact of selling.
•  Other trends support the idea of rising prices for some of these stocks in 2025.

Congress members are buying and selling stocks in 2025, and the cash flows are important for investors to note. Congressional traders have unique insight into market dynamics and can signal great buys or not.

This is a look at the five stocks most sold by Congress in 2025 and whether investors should follow suit. 

Microsoft Is the Most Sold Stock by Congress This Year

Market-leading Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT is Congress's most sold stock this year. MarketBeat tracks 34 trades by 17 members in the six months leading into mid-July, including bipartisan activity. 

The sales are primarily among representatives, with only one senator tracked, including names familiar to MarketBeat users such as Representative Josh Gottheimer (D–NJ) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). Their activity spans the period but picks up towards the end of Q2 as the share prices were rising, suggesting a headwind for this market. 

However, Microsoft is also the Most Bought Stock by Congress this year, so investors should take the selling news with a grain of salt. The takeaway is that Microsoft’s leadership position in AI and technology is unquestioned, but some Congress members are taking profits.

The outlook for MSFT stocks remains robust, with analyst trends supporting the move. They include steady coverage, a firm Moderate Buy rating, and a rising price target forecasting about 8% upside at the consensus and 18% at the high end. 

Alphabet Gets Sold by Congress in H1 2025

Alphabet NASDAQ: GOOGL, Google's parent company, is the second-most-sold stock by Congress so far in 2025. MarketBeat tracks 17 trades from 11 members, including many of the same who sold MSFT.

Congress members sold Alphabet in lesser quantities but still sufficient to count in the millions of dollars. The sales pattern is slightly different, centered in the spring, April to June period, aligning with Alphabet’s stock price rebound. 

Unlike Microsoft, Alphabet is not listed on the Most Bought by Congress list, so there is no offsetting tailwind for the headwind that these sales present. Given that Alphabet is facing numerous regulatory headwinds, these sales may mark the beginning of a longer-term trend.

Although caution has crept into analyst sentiment, with numerous reductions to Hold in the data, the consensus reported by MarketBeat remains a firm Moderate Buy, and price targets are rising. Consensus forecasts an 8% gain from late-July price points, while the high-end adds 20% to it. 

Baldwin Insurance: A Single Member Sells Millions in Shares

Baldwin Insurance NASDAQ: BWIN is interesting because it ranks highly on the list regarding the dollar value sold by Congress, but only one member was selling.

That is Representative C. Scott Franklin (R-FL), who sold shares in February and April, well ahead of the hurricane season, which has only just begun and could materially impact Baldwin's business given its exposure to storm-related claims.

Coinciding with those trades, Baldwin has also been facing mounting financial pressures, including a growing debt burden that has raised concerns among investors. Negative sentiment trends have followed, with several analysts reducing coverage, issuing downgrades, and setting price targets below consensus.

These developments have weighed heavily on price action, pushing the stock lower and casting uncertainty over its near-term outlook—particularly as hurricane season risk begins to escalate.

Lam Research: U.S.-Based Semiconductor Stock Gets Sold

Lam Research NASDAQ: LRCX was the fourth stock most sold by Congress members in the first half of 2025. Nine members sold 13 times, with sales running from January to May. Their selling aligned with the broad market sell-off early in the year, but their absence in June and July coincided with the rebound in stock prices. 

The company’s growth is expected to slow, but recent data, including trends in the semiconductor industry, suggest that the forecasts are too low. 

Analysts' sentiment dipped for LCRX stock in late Q1 and early Q2 but rebounded. The trend in early Q3 is increased coverage, firming sentiment, a Moderate Buy rating, and a rebound in the consensus price target. It assumes a fair value of $100, with revisions leading to the high-end range of $125. 

Congress Sells NVIDIA in 2025

NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA is Congress's sixth-most-sold stock, but don’t read too much into it. The stock is also the second most bought, and the activity makes Congress bullish overall. 

This is due to NVIDIA’s leadership position, rapidly growing revenue, strong cash flow, and long-term outlook for AI dominance. Activity is bipartisan; no single trader, party, or institution stands out, and will likely continue to be bullish through the year’s end. 

Analysts’ activity is bullish leading into NVIDIA’s Q2 earnings report. They are raising price targets due to the resumption of sales in China, NVIDIA's robust deal pipeline, and global AI spending trends.

The consensus in late July is for an 8% with revisions leading toward $250 and a nearly 40% increase from late-July trading levels.