The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) released filings Thursday revealing that former President Donald Trump executed 3,642 securities trades in Q1 2026, valued between $220 million and $750 million. The 2,346 buys and 1,296 sells averaged about 58 trades per trading day, breaking a decades-long tradition of presidents placing assets in blind trusts since Lyndon B. Johnson.
Semiconductor binge, tech giant trimming
Trump's buys were concentrated on semiconductor stocks. He repeatedly purchased Nvidia, Broadcom, Synopsys, and Texas Instruments in the $1 million to $5 million range per trade, while also adding Apple, Oracle, ServiceNow, Adobe, and Workday. On the sell side, he reduced positions in Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft on February 10, with several lots in the $5 million to $25 million bracket, though small repurchases suggest portfolio rebalancing rather than a full exit. The filings disclose only value ranges, not specific prices or profit-and-loss. Trump's assets are held through family trusts and brokerage accounts, with some trades executed by brokers. The White House claims no conflict of interest exists.
Dell bought then touted, Intel accumulated as government invested
Timing drew scrutiny: Trump bought $1 million to $5 million of Dell stock on February 10. Three months later, on May 8, he spontaneously urged the public at a White House Rose Garden event to "go buy Dell," sending the stock surging 14% to an all-time high. The Dell family had donated $6.25 billion to "Trump Accounts" in December 2025. Intel trades also raised eyebrows: Trump began accumulating Intel shares in early March, many marked "unsolicited." The U.S. government had already bought 433.3 million Intel shares at $20.47 each in August 2025, acquiring a 9.9% stake. With Trump pushing a government stake in Intel while personally buying in the open market, shares have gained roughly 150% since his first purchase.
Federal disclosure rules require the president to report any financial transaction over $1,000 within 45 days. Trump was fined the standard $200 per late filing for several delayed reports. A $200 penalty on up to $750 million in trades — critics call it the cheapest cheat fee in the world.