Trump bought Apple, Nvidia, tech before tariff reversal fueled rebound
Investors trade on the New York Stock Exchange on March 5, 2025.
Spencer Platt | Getty Images
While investors and businesses spent the early days of April 2025 worrying about the future of global trade and the economy, President Donald Trump was busy buying into the selloff he created in the stock market.
Trump purchased 327 stocks on April 8, 2025, according to a CNBC analysis of the president’s 2025 annual financial statement, which includes trades, income and liabilities, released Tuesday. That made April 8 the 11th busiest day for stock buying last year, according to a CNBC analysis; this was more than five times the daily average of about 62 for the calendar year.
His rush to buy comes at the tail end of a steep four-day spiral sparked by the unveiling of his plan for broad, high tariffs. CNBC’s analysis shows Trump’s purchases are focused on megacap tech stocks, which were hit hard after he issued the policy on April 2, which he called “redemption day.”
The episode reflects a central theme running through Trump’s second term: A president with broad authority to move markets is also a president with a large personal stake in those markets. — There is more personal investment involved than before.
wide on April 8 S&P 500 The index finished the session below the 5,000 level and within centimeters of the bear market threshold; This term is used to describe a 20% decline from a recent high. In just four days, the closely watched stock market indicator has fallen more than 12%.
The next morning, minutes after the opening bell on April 9, Trump helped the market rebound abruptly.
“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns. He shared: Later that day, Trump announced that he would roll back some of the market-shattering tariffs he had announced a week earlier.
The S&P 500 index experienced one of its best days in history, increasing by approximately 9.5% in that session. The indicator has increased cumulatively by around 50% since April 8, 2025.
When asked to comment on the timing of Trump’s transactions on April 8, 2025, the White House spoke more generally about the president’s assets.
“As President Trump has said, he has a lot of assets because he was an extremely successful businessman before he became President, and that’s why he was elected to office 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 transactions were managed by outside parties.
“I don’t interfere in my personal affairs; we have funds that manage my money,” Trump told reporters.
Big tech acquisition
Trump’s buying spree on April 8 focused on some of the world’s largest public companies.
He purchased shares worth between $100,001 and $250,000. Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft And Nvidia It shows explanations every day.
All five stocks are members of the Magnificent Seven, a group of megacap tech stocks that have propelled the market to record highs in recent years. All five saw big recoveries after Trump’s tariff policy change, and investors breathed a sigh of relief that the companies’ costs would not rise immediately.
Apple, for example, fell 5% on April 8, its fourth consecutive negative day. The iPhone maker rose more than 15% in the next session, which would be its best trading day since 1998.
Meanwhile, Nvidia lost more than 1% of its value on April 8. The chipmaker surged nearly 19% the next day, meaning it gained nearly a fifth of its market value in a single session.
move the market
April stock transactions are just part of the 927-page disclosure. According to CNBC’s analysis, $2.24 billion in revenue was generated in 2025; These included hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto, more than $290 million from major golf and club properties, and more than $86 million from legal settlements. Trump also continues to collect revenue from branded merchandise and accepts numerous gifts such as sports tickets.
President Donald Trump speaks about the new tariff plan at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images
As for market volatility in early April 2025, ordinary investors noticed how Trump was affecting stocks long before this week’s data.
On forums such as the Reddit WallStreetBets page, some users applauded Trump’s decision to buy before encouraging investors. But several others took a more critical stance, comparing his actions to market manipulation.
One user asked: “Can you imagine insider trading?” wrote. “For example, if you’re inside the White House and you don’t come out as a Brazilian,[r]You are literally the stupidest person on the planet.”
— CNBC’s Nick Wells And Deena Zaidi contributed to this report.
