Three Lawmakers Bought This Biotech Stock Before Supporting A Bill That Could Boost Its Value: It's Now Up 44%

Three U.S. lawmakers have disclosed recent purchases of a pet healthcare company just weeks before a biotech bill that could benefit the company's business was introduced in Congress.

What Happened: On Tuesday, Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker, an X account that monitors U.S. lawmakers’ financial disclosures, reported that Rep. April Delaney (R-MD), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) purchased shares of IDEXX Laboratories Inc. IDXX in early to mid-April and May.

The timing has drawn scrutiny, as all three lawmakers sit on committees directly tied to the “National Biotech Initiative Act of 2025,” a bill aimed at expanding federal funding for biotechnology research and development.

The legislation, introduced on April 9, was referred to several committees, including agriculture and foreign affairs, on which each of the three lawmakers serves.

According to the bill’s text, the aim is to “boost biotech funding research/development for biotech products across the country,” resulting in substantial tailwinds for companies such as IDEXX.

The Pelosi Tracker post states that Shreve bought shares on April 6, Delaney followed on April 7, and Bresnahan made his purchase on May 14. While congressional stock trading is legal, it’s been quite controversial, with growing calls for a ban on trading stocks, options and ETFs by members of Congress in recent years.

Why It Matters: Economist Justin Wolfers recently called it “simply absurd” that Congressional representatives are allowed to trade stocks, even while receiving “top secret briefings.”

It is “absolutely clear they're using their inside knowledge to get better returns,” he says, adding that this is not “how we want to pay our Congressmen.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's portfolio famously outperformed many hedge funds, posting returns of 65% in 2023 and 54% in 2024. But several lesser-known members of Congress have reportedly achieved even greater gains, between 70% and 149%, fueling public outcry over perceived conflicts of interest.

Price Action: Shares of IDEXX Laboratories were up 1.41% on Tuesday, trading at $525.93, and are down 0.18% after hours.

According to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings, Idexx scores high on Momentum and Growth, but fares poorly on Value and Quality. The stock has a favorable price trend in the short, medium, and long term. Check here for deeper insights into the stock, its peers and competitors.

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