Financial Markets Wall Street

Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti-corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals in a bid to build credibility with voters. Polls show the public takes a dim view of insider trading in Washington and supports more guardrails against corruption. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are offering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Oil prices are clawing back some of their sharp drops from earlier in the week, but U.S. stocks are remaining near their records. The S&P 500 edged down 0.1% Thursday from its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 219 points, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. Stocks of companies with big fuel bills sank as the price of Brent crude oil rose following the latest threat to the ceasefire in the war with Iran. But a continued run of strong profit reports from U.S. companies helped support the broader market. Treasury yields were mixed.