An unusually well-timed trade by Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) is raising eyebrows, given the massive conflict of interest it represents.
A Perfectly Timed Trade
On Wednesday, in a post on X, the Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker, which tracks and reports on the trades made by political leaders, highlighted Fleischmann's $15,000 investment in the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:URA) on Feb. 14, 2025.
The post notes that this investment, which has since surged 40% in value, was made at a time when Fleischmann sat on “6 committees that oversee Energy,” while also co-chairing “the advanced nuclear caucus.”
“And this is why we follow the politicians,” the post says, taking a pointed jab at lawmakers who often have access to privileged briefings and non-public information, which are unavailable to everyday investors.
A mix of tight supply, accelerating demand, and growing geopolitical support for nuclear energy has fueled a surge in uranium spot prices. Earlier this year, uranium stocks logged 11 straight weeks of gains after witnessing a steep pullback in mid-April.
Growing Calls For A Ban
According to a report by Unusual Whales, traders in Congress significantly outperformed the S&P 500 in 2024, with average gains of 31.1% for Democrats and 26.1% for Republicans, while the benchmark returned 23%.
The top traders in Congress generated returns ranging from 70.9% to 149.0% during the year, outperforming several leading hedge funds.
This has since led to calls for a ban on Congressional stock trading, with 43% of Benzinga readers saying that members of Congress should not be allowed to trade stocks, options, or ETFs.
Prominent leaders such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have come out in support of a bill that seeks to do just that, which is to prohibit all elected officials, including the President and Vice President, from trading individual stocks.
Shares of Global X Uranium ETF were up 1.88% on Wednesday, trading at $41.19, and are down 0.10% after hours. According to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings, the fund scores high on Momentum, and has a favorable price trend in the short, medium and long terms. Click here for deeper insights into the fund and its constituents.
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