An exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the stock trades of Democratic members of Congress has been outperforming the S&P 500 since its launch in 2023.
What Happened: The Unusual Whales Democratic ETF NANC, in a nod to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has seen a 30% surge since its inception on Feb. 7, 2023. This growth surpasses the 24% gain of the S&P 500 during the same period, reported Business Insider.
The ETF’s performance is largely attributed to its significant investments in major tech companies, including Microsoft MSFT, Amazon AMZN, Apple AAPL, and Nvidia NVDA. These four companies are the fund’s largest holdings, with Microsoft alone accounting for nearly 10% of the fund.
The ETF includes tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Salesforce, and Alphabet. These six stocks make up 32% of the fund’s total market value. The fund comprises a total of 719 stocks.
It’s worth noting that the lawmakers tracked by the fund also hold shares in many of the same stocks that are popular with hedge funds. This has led to the fund’s impressive performance, despite the ongoing scrutiny of lawmakers’ stock trades.
In contrast, a Republican-centric fund following a similar approach has been lagging behind the market. The Unusual Whales Republican ETF, identified by the ticker symbol “KRUZ,” has only seen a modest 15% gain since its inception.
Why It Matters: The Unusual Whales Democratic ETF was launched in response to the controversial stock trading activities of members of Congress. This issue has been under the spotlight for some time, with calls for a ban on congressional stock trading. In 2023, a bill proposing a ban on congressional stock trading was introduced by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
Despite the controversy, the Unusual Whales Democratic ETF has continued to perform well, reflecting the market’s confidence in the stocks favored by Democratic lawmakers. This also aligns with the trend of members of Congress outperforming the S&P 500.
One of the most scrutinized members of Congress for her trading history of stocks and options is Pelosi. After recently profiting more than $1 million from a trade in Nvidia, Pelosi disclosed a new technology stock purchase by her and her husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi.
This ongoing success and the subsequent launch of the NANC ETF have brought the trading activities of Democratic lawmakers into the limelight.
Nancy Pelosi Photo By Gage Skidmore Via Wikimedia Commons
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