Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on March 5, 2025.
Spencer Platt getty images
While investors and businesses spent the early days of April 2025 fretting over the future of global trade and the economy, President Donald Trump was busy buying into the stock market selloff he created.
According to a CNBC analysis of the president’s annual financial disclosure for 2025, which includes business, income and liabilities and was released Tuesday, Trump bought 327 stocks as of April 8, 2025. According to CNBC analysis, April 8 was their 11th busiest day for buying stocks last year, more than five times the daily average of about 62 for the calendar year.
His buying frenzy came at the end of a torrid four days that began with the unveiling of his plan for broader and higher tariffs. CNBC analysis shows Trump’s buying was focused on mega-cap technology stocks, which were hit hard after issuing the policy on April 2, which he dubbed “Emancipation Day.”
The episode reflects a central theme running through Trump’s second term: The president with enormous power to move markets is also a president with an enormous personal stake. — There is more personal investment at stake than in any of its predecessors.
widespread on 8th April S&P 500 The index finished that session below 5,000 points and within inches of the range for a bear market, a term used to describe a 20% decline from a recent high. In four days alone, the stock market benchmark fell more than 12%.
The next morning, minutes after the opening bell on April 9, Trump helped turn the market upside down.
Trump posted on his owned social media platform Truth Social that “It’s a great time to buy!!!” Later that day, Trump announced he was rolling back some of the market-hitting tariffs he had announced a week earlier.
The S&P 500 rose about 9.5% in that session, one of its best days on record. The benchmark has gained nearly 50% cumulatively since April 8, 2025.
When the White House was asked to comment on Trump’s April 8, 2025 trade deadline, they talked generally about the president’s assets.
“As President Trump said, he has a lot of wealth because he was an extremely successful businessman before he became president, which is why he was elected to the position in the first place,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told CNBC. “All of the President’s assets are held in purely discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions. There is no conflict of interest.”
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that his business is managed by outside parties.
“I don’t get involved in my personal affairs – we have funds that run my money,” Trump told reporters.
big tech purchases
Trump’s shopping spree on April 8 focused on some of the world’s largest public companies.
They bought shares worth between $100,001 and $250,000 Apple, alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft And NVIDIA Each day, revelations emerge.
All five stocks are members of the Magnificent Seven, a group of mega-cap technology stocks that have been credited with driving the market to record highs in recent years. All five also saw big rebounds after Trump’s tariff policy changes, with investors taking a sigh of relief that companies’ costs won’t rise immediately.
For example, Apple fell 5% on April 8, its fourth consecutive negative day. The iPhone maker surged more than 15% in the next session, which would be its best trading day since 1998.
Meanwhile, Nvidia shed more than 1% of its value on April 8. The chip maker jumped nearly 19% the next day, meaning it gained nearly a fifth of its market value in a single session.
the market is moving
The April stock trade is just one part of a 927-page disclosure that shows Revenue of $2.24 billion in 2025, according to CNBC analysis, including hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto, more than $290 million from major golf and club properties and more than $86 million in legal settlements. Trump has also continued to collect income from branded merchandise and has accepted numerous gifts, such as sports tickets.
President Donald Trump speaks about his new tariff plan at the White House in Washington on April 2, 2025.
Brandon Smialowski | AFP | getty images
When it comes to market volatility as early as April 2025, everyday investors will be paying attention to how Trump’s comments affect stocks ahead of this week’s release.
On forums such as the Reddit WallStreetBets page, some users praised Trump’s decision to encourage investors to buy early. But many others took a more critical stance, instead comparing his actions to market manipulation.
“Can you imagine insider trading?” a user wrote. “Like if you’re inside the White House and don’t get out of this Brazilian(r)e you’re literally the dumbest person on the planet.”
– CNBC nick wells And Dina Zaidi Contributed to this report.