How to read STOCK Act disclosures
Learn how to read STOCK Act disclosures by separating transaction date, filing date, transaction type, amount range, source record, and interpretation limits.
Direct answer
Read a STOCK Act disclosure by separating what the filing says from what it cannot prove: it can show a covered transaction, date, asset, type, filer, and amount range, but it does not prove motive, exact execution price, or future returns.
Workflow
Check who filed
Start with the filer and chamber so the disclosure is tied to the correct lawmaker profile.
Browse lawmakersCompare dates
Read transaction date and filing date together. The difference is the disclosure delay.
Latest guideRead amount as a range
The public record usually uses value bands. Do not convert a range into fake exact precision.
Field guideOpen the source context
Use the tracker for speed and structure, but keep the underlying public filing as the authority.
Open feedApp fields used in this guide
These are product field names, included so the guide connects to the actual tracker instead of staying abstract.
| Field | App key | Example | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawmaker | politician_name | Nancy Pelosi | The member or covered filer connected to the public disclosure. |
| Ticker | ticker | NVDA | The normalized public company ticker used for ticker pages and alerts. |
| Transaction type | transaction_type | purchase | The disclosed action, such as purchase, sale, or partial sale. |
| Amount range | amount_min / amount_max | $1,001 - $15,000 | The reported value band, not an exact position size. |
| Trade date | transaction_date | 2026-05-12 | The date the transaction was reported to have occurred. |
| Filing date | filing_date | 2026-05-20 | The date the disclosure became public in the filing workflow. |
| Disclosure delay | disclosure_delay_days | 8 days | The gap between the transaction date and the filing date. |
| Notable flag | is_notable | true | A product signal used to surface large, fast-filed, repeated, or context-heavy trades. |
What the filing can and cannot tell you
A disclosure can tell you that a reported transaction happened in a stated category and amount band. It can also tell you when the report was filed and which public source it came from.
It cannot tell you the filer intent, exact trade price, full portfolio, inside information, or whether a future return will be positive.
- `transaction_type` describes the reported action.
- `amount_min` and `amount_max` preserve the public value band.
- `raw_source` or source links help you trace the filing back to the public record.
- `ai_interpretation` is context, not a legal or investment conclusion.
Why disclosure delay matters
A newly published filing is not necessarily a newly executed trade. A disclosure with a long delay can still be important for research, but it is weaker as a time-sensitive market signal.
That is why Congressional Trader exposes `disclosure_delay_days` instead of only sorting by headline freshness.
Official context
Congressional Trader organizes public records for research. Official House and Senate disclosure systems remain the authority for filing rules and source records.
Related paths
FAQ
What is the most important field in a disclosure?
There is no single field. Read transaction date, filing date, transaction type, amount range, lawmaker, and ticker together.
Do STOCK Act disclosures show exact dollar amounts?
Usually no. They commonly show a transaction value range, so the app preserves ranges instead of creating exact values.
Can a disclosure prove insider trading?
No. It is a public record of a reported transaction. It does not prove intent, legality, or use of inside information.