How congressional stock disclosures work

Members of Congress, officers, and certain employees are covered by federal financial-disclosure rules. For many securities transactions, the public-facing record is called a Periodic Transaction Report, usually shortened to PTR.

What triggers a report?

House ethics guidance says covered filers generally must report certain purchases, sales, and exchanges of securities when the transaction exceeds $1,000. The rule is about the value of the transaction—not whether it earned a profit.

When is it due?

For House filers, the deadline is the earlier of 30 days after the filer becomes aware of the transaction or 45 days after the transaction date. That means a legally timely report can still reach the public long after the market moved.

Where are reports filed?

House financial disclosures and PTRs are filed with the Clerk of the House. Senate reports are available through the Senate's electronic financial-disclosure search system. These official portals are the records that should anchor any verified tracker.

What a PTR can—and cannot—show

A PTR may identify the asset, transaction type, transaction date, owner category, and a value range. It usually does not reveal the exact execution price, exact number of shares, current holding size, investment thesis, or whether another position offsets the trade.

Official sources: House Committee on Ethics—Financial Disclosure · Clerk of the House · Senate eFD Search