logo
Trump Embarks on $104 Million Bond-Buying Spree While in Office

Trump Embarks on $104 Million Bond-Buying Spree While in Office

Yahoo10 hours ago
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump has bought hundreds of bonds since he returned to office, including those sold by US companies affected by the sweeping changes to federal policies he's championed.
The 690 transactions, the first of which was made the day after his inauguration, total at least $103.7 million, according to a document released by the White House on Tuesday that disclosed the billionaire's investing activity this year through early August.
Why New York City Has a Fleet of New EVs From a Dead Carmaker
Chicago Schools Seeks $1 Billion of Short-Term Debt as Cash Gone
Trump Takes Second Swing at Cutting Housing Assistance for Immigrants
A Photographer's Pipe Dream: Capturing New York's Vast Water System
A London Apartment Tower With Echoes of Victorian Rail and Ancient Rome
In addition to municipal bonds issued by local governments, school boards, airport authorities and gas districts, Trump bought corporate debt in tranches of at least $500,000 each from Qualcomm Inc., Home Depot and T-Mobile US Inc. on Feb. 10. He also purchased at least $250,000 of debt from Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. later that month.
The report, which all federal elected officials and appointees who trade must submit, doesn't provide exact amounts or prices, since only broad ranges of transactions involving stocks, bonds, commodity futures and other securities are required. Trump reported no sales.
The investments provide another example of how the president, whose net worth is pegged at $6.4 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, continues to pursue wealth accumulation while in office. Unlike his predecessors, Trump didn't divest or move his assets into a blind trust with an independent overseer. His sprawling business empire is managed by two of his sons and operates in several areas that intersect with presidential policy.
Trump has held meetings with leaders of businesses whose supply chains have been upended by his implementation of the highest tariffs in decades as well as technology industry executives.
The White House didn't immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the 33-page filing, which was dated Aug. 12 and provided to the Office of Government Ethics.
In an earlier financial disclosure report spanning his activity in 2024, Trump listed hundreds of bonds held in personal investment accounts that are separate from his business empire. The latter encompasses properties like his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, his stake in Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. and crypto ventures that have added at least $620 million to his fortune in recent months, according to the Bloomberg index.
Under federal ethics law, presidents aren't required to divest assets that may pose conflicts of interest, but they have done so anyway. Trump is the first president to buck that since the law was passed in 1978.
Foreigners Are Buying US Homes Again While Americans Get Sidelined
What Declining Cardboard Box Sales Tell Us About the US Economy
Women's Earnings Never Really Recover After They Have Children
J.Crew Survived Bankruptcy. Next Up: Cultural Relevance?
Americans Are Getting Priced Out of Homeownership at Record Rates
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Viking's Premium Valuation Backed By Strong Growth, Analyst Notes
Viking's Premium Valuation Backed By Strong Growth, Analyst Notes

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Viking's Premium Valuation Backed By Strong Growth, Analyst Notes

Viking Holdings Ltd (NYSE:VIK) shares slipped on Wednesday despite the cruise operator posting a strong second-quarter revenue jump and upbeat analyst commentary. The company reported an 18.5% year-over-year sales increase to $1.88 billion and reaffirmed its ability to sustain mid-single-digit pricing strength across its segments. While Bank of America Securities reiterated a Buy rating with a $70 target, citing Viking's premium positioning and superior returns, investors appeared cautious as shares traded nearly 2% lower in midday noted that Viking's premium positioning should help sustain pricing power, leading to only slight adjustments in 2025-2027 revenue and earnings forecasts. Pricing trends were mixed. River segment pricing improved by 200bps to +6%, likely supported by its dominant market share and mix benefits, while Ocean segment pricing slipped to +4% from +5%, which Didora suggested may reflect rising competition from other cruise operators. Concerns raised last quarter about 2026 pricing stability eased, as Viking maintained its +4% outlook while reinforcing expected mid-single-digit gains. Didora added that Viking is positioned to expand 2025 EBITDA by over 25%, with 2026-2027 estimates growing in the mid-teens, well above the high-single to low-double-digit growth expected for other cruise lines. He also pointed out that Viking's return on invested capital and EBITDA per APCD are nearly twice the industry average. 'We believe VIK's growth and financial metrics justify a premium valuation to peers,' Didora noted. Price Action: VIK shares are trading lower by 1.92% to $58.09 at last check Wednesday. Read Next:Photo by dreakrawi via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Viking's Premium Valuation Backed By Strong Growth, Analyst Notes originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Obama applauds Newsom's California redistricting plan as 'responsible' as Texas GOP pushes new maps
Obama applauds Newsom's California redistricting plan as 'responsible' as Texas GOP pushes new maps

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Obama applauds Newsom's California redistricting plan as 'responsible' as Texas GOP pushes new maps

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states' efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom's response to alter his state's congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans' position in next year's elections. 'I believe that Gov. Newsom's approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We're not going to try to completely maximize it,' Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. 'We're only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn't go into effect.' While noting that 'political gerrymandering' is not his 'preference,' Obama said that, if Democrats 'don't respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.' According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama's attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared. The former president's comments come as Texas lawmakers return to Austin this week, renewing a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business. Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to possibly strengthen their party's position by way of redrawing U.S. House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures. In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission, with the goal of making the process less partisan — Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state's dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year. If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could nearly erase Republican House members in the nation's most populous state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43. A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval. Newsom and Democratic leaders say they'll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning map-drawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. Obama applauded that temporary timeline. 'And we're going to do it in a temporary basis because we're keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,' Obama said, referencing Newsom's take on the California plan. 'I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.' ___ Kinnard can be reached at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store