Zero Time Difference | In the midst of war, which "stock gods" have been shaped?

Ask AI · How do members of Congress profit from war information?

The military strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran have entered their second month. Missiles whiz across the battlefield, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is disrupted, international oil prices soar, and global stock markets fluctuate. The war interferes with and damages the world economy. However, on Wall Street, a number of stocks are soaring against the trend. Besides energy stocks, defense stocks like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are becoming the most eye-catching sights in the U.S. stock market.

Since signals of military action against Iran emerged, U.S. defense stocks have been highly volatile. It can be said that each escalation of the Middle East situation harvests a wave of gains for defense stocks. Some days, their single-day gains exceed 9%, with overall cumulative increases approaching 25%, making them two of the best-performing sectors in the U.S. stock market alongside energy stocks.

Not only are defense giants making a fortune, but U.S. lawmakers’ wallets are also getting fat. U.S. media reports that Kevin Hearn, a Republican member of Congress who chairs the House Budget and Spending Working Group, has a record of multiple large defense stock trades; former Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene bought Lockheed Martin stock precisely two days before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, and publicly stated on social media, “War is a big business for our leaders.”

The interests binding defense companies and members of Congress have created one “Capitol Hill stock god” after another. According to the U.S. “Governing Strategy” website, in 2024, at least 37 U.S. Congress members and their families traded defense stocks using the Pentagon’s top 100 contractors list. Analysis shows that these lawmakers traded Pentagon contractor stocks worth between $24 million and $113 million throughout 2024. Among them, eight members also serve on military or foreign affairs committees.

Why does the U.S. always love to fight? Because those who can decide to go to war and those who can declare war can profit from it.

Earlier this year, Newsweek cited data from the “Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project,” which tracks global conflict activities, stating that from January 20, 2025, to January 5, 2026, the U.S. conducted 573 airstrikes and drone attacks. U.S. military spending also soared accordingly. In 2024, U.S. military expenditure reached $997 billion, accounting for 37% of the global total; the budget for fiscal year 2026 even increased to $1.01 trillion.

Following the “sky-high military spending” and the interconnected chain of interests, it’s not hard to see that behind almost every war, there is a script: defense companies consciously offer “political donations,” while lawmakers buy defense stocks and push for increased defense budgets. These “entrepreneurs” and “politicians,” well-versed in the workings of American “democracy,” work tirelessly throughout the year, funneling the American public’s money into their own pockets.

There are no winners in war—only the “Capitol Hill stock gods” emerge victorious. In their war plans, soldiers’ blood and civilians’ suffering are just cold reports. Ceaseless fighting, controlled intensity, repeated reversals—behind it all are the American political families, Wall Street capital, and the military-industrial complex working together, creating global market volatility through war, and completing dual-direction asset harvesting.

“Nothing is more ironic than waging war for a foreign regime and profiting from the death of young soldiers sent to the front lines, than mocking the slogan ‘America First’.” This remark by Iran’s leader perhaps reveals the harshest truth. The White House claims to wage war “America First,” but what truly takes priority—the national interests of the U.S., or those insider information-holding, preemptively布局的利益集团? The answer is self-evident.

(Source: People’s Daily Client )