When you look at the sheer volume of cash moving through the halls of Congress, you expect every name to be a heavy hitter. You expect the Nancy Pelosis or the Dan Meusers of the world—people moving millions in tech and energy. Then there is Brian Higgins.
Honestly, the story of Brian Higgins stock trades is more about what isn't there than what is.
Higgins, the former Democratic Representative for New York’s 26th District, walked away from Capitol Hill in February 2024. He didn't leave for a lobbying firm or a talking-head gig on cable news. Instead, he took over as the President and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. It was a move that surprised plenty of people, but if you actually look at his financial disclosures over the last few years, the vibe was always pretty low-key. He wasn't exactly a day trader in a suit.
The Reality of Brian Higgins Stock Trades
Most people hunting for "insider info" or "congressional alpha" are going to be disappointed here. Brian Higgins was never a high-frequency trader. He wasn't even a frequent trader.
Take a look at his 2021 filings, which were some of his most active. We are talking about a handful of moves. He reported selling shares in Micron Technology (MU) and Sphere 3D Corp (ANY). Around the same time, he picked up a position in NVIDIA (NVDA).
The NVIDIA buy is the one that gets everyone’s heart racing because, well, it’s NVIDIA. Everyone wants to know if a Congressman knew the AI boom was coming. But look at the scale. The transaction was valued between $15,001 and $50,000. In the world of Congressional wealth, that is practically pocket change. By the time he filed his termination report in April 2024, that NVIDIA position was still there, valued between $50,001 and $100,000.
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He made some money. He didn't break the bank.
Why the Timing of His Resignation Matters
Higgins didn't just fade away; he quit mid-term. On February 2, 2024, he officially resigned, citing his frustration with the "growing dysfunction" in Washington.
Whenever a member of the Ways and Means Committee—one of the most powerful tax-writing bodies in the world—leaves early, the skeptics start digging. They want to see if there was a "final haul" of trades before the door closed.
The data says no.
In his final 2024 disclosure (the "Terminated Filer Report"), the assets listed were largely stagnant. Aside from the NVIDIA holding, his portfolio looked like a standard Western New York retirement plan:
- M&T Bank (A Buffalo staple)
- Congressional Federal Credit Union accounts
- New York State & Local Employees Retirement Fund
- A few basic mutual funds like the Schwab S&P 500 Index
It’s almost boring. But in a town where "boring" is rare, it’s worth noting.
The Controversy That Wasn't
You’ve probably seen the headlines about the STOCK Act. It’s the law meant to stop members of Congress from using non-public info to line their pockets. Every time a politician buys a chip stock or an energy company, the internet explodes.
With Brian Higgins stock trades, the scrutiny usually falls on his committee assignments. Being on Ways and Means means you see the inner workings of trade policy, healthcare, and Social Security. If Higgins had been betting the house on healthcare startups while writing healthcare law, we’d have a problem.
But he didn't.
His most "controversial" play, if you can even call it that, was holding onto Sphere 3D Corp during a period of intense volatility. He eventually sold it at a significant loss—estimated by some trackers at over 200% down from previous highs. If he was an insider, he was a pretty bad one.
What This Tells Us About Congressional Reform
The push for the ETHICS Act or the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act is real. People are tired of feeling like the game is rigged.
Higgins’ portfolio is a weird case study because it shows the middle ground. He wasn't a "no-stock" purist, but he also wasn't aggressive. It highlights the nuance: should a member of Congress be allowed to own $50k of NVIDIA while they vote on the CHIPS Act?
Even if it’s a small amount, the appearance of a conflict is what burns the public's trust. Higgins avoided the major scandals that hit his colleagues, but his presence in the individual stock market still put him in that "wait and see" category for transparency advocates.
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you’re trying to mirror Brian Higgins stock trades to get rich, you’re about three years too late and looking at the wrong guy. However, there are some takeaways here for how to read the room:
- Check the Termination Reports: When a member of Congress leaves, their final disclosure is a gold mine for seeing what they actually held onto for the long haul versus what they dumped.
- Small-Scale Matters: Don't ignore the $15k–$50k trades. They don't move the market, but they show where a politician feels "safe" putting their own cash.
- The "Home Field" Bias: Like Higgins with M&T Bank, many politicians invest in companies headquartered in their home districts. This isn't usually an "insider" tip; it's just a politician supporting a local employer they know well.
- Watch the Committee, Not the Person: If you want to find "suspicious" trades, look at the members of the House Armed Services or Energy and Commerce committees. Their trades usually align more closely with legislative shifts than someone on the Budget Committee like Higgins.
Higgins is now busy running a theater and helping oversee the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center board. His days of filing Schedule A transaction reports are over. For those still tracking the intersection of power and the S&P 500, his departure marks the end of a very quiet chapter in Buffalo’s political-financial history.
If you want to keep tabs on current members who are actually making waves, you should start by looking at the January 2026 disclosure cycles for the 119th Congress. The newcomers often bring fresh portfolios that tell a much louder story than Higgins ever did.