United States Representative Dan Meuser is among the select Congress members actively involved in stock market trading with a diverse portfolio.
Like other Congressional trades, Meuser’s involvement in the equities market has been subject to criticism due to factors such as the possible utilization of insider information to invest.
Additionally, the lawmaker has faced scrutiny for violating several Congressional trading laws, including failing to report family stock purchases.
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For instance, in 2021, a report indicated that the politician “failed to report on time that his wife and children purchased as much as $600,000 worth of stock during the pandemic crash.” In his defense, Meuser cited “human error” as the reason for failing to report the trades.
“Unfortunately, I have been made aware that my broker failed to report this reallocation in a timely manner. This was simply human error.<…> This is all news to me, and I am very unhappy about it. The rules are very clear, and unfortunately this is a case of human error,” he said.
Meuser stock portfolio
Despite the controversy, the politician remains active in the stock market, with his portfolio focusing on blue-chip stocks across the technology, payments, and entertainment sectors.
His standout holdings include Visa (NYSE: V), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL), and Disney (NYSE: DIS). These companies have demonstrated a blend of innovation, consumer loyalty, and market dominance.
Global payments giant Visa delivered a 22% gain in 2024, driven by strong consumer spending and an earnings beat. Microsoft, a key player in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, posted a 13.65% increase.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, shone with a stellar 36.45% rally, benefiting from its core businesses, such as search and advertising, alongside investments in AI.
Walt Disney also had a remarkable year, rallying 22.54%, as it capitalized on its diversified entertainment offerings and a rebound in theme park attendance.
Meuser stock portfolio returns
If $1,000 were evenly distributed across these four stocks, each stock would receive $250. By year-end, Visa’s growth would have turned its $250 allocation into $305. Microsoft’s performance would have increased its share to $284.13, while Alphabet’s stellar year would have grown its portion to $341.13. Walt Disney’s strong rally would have boosted its investment to $306.35.
The portfolio would now be worth $1,236.61, reflecting a robust return of 23.66% for the year.
However, the portfolio’s overall returns could have been even higher. Meuser’s decision to sell shares of certain high-performing stocks, such as Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), arguably left some potential gains on the table. Nvidia, a leader in AI chips, saw a meteoric rise in 2024, driven by surging demand for its semiconductors needed to power AI systems.
It’s worth noting that this simplified overview of the politician’s notable holdings serves as an illustrative example, as most investors are better off avoiding overly diversified portfolios.
Featured image via Shutterstock
