Some investors downplay the link between politics and investing, and sometimes Capitol Hill events have little impact. But if it were all irrelevant, why would so many members of Congress trade stocks based on the information they receive? Reality shows that sometimes our nation’s leaders leave promising investment opportunities hiding in plain sight. For example, in March, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through the end of fiscal year 2025. Not only does this prevent a g ...

Group 1: Market Overview - The S&P 500 index experienced a decline of over 10% following the announcement of tariff rules by President Donald Trump, which raised concerns about the U.S. economy [1] - A tariff pause was implemented after nearly a week of market pressure, leading to a partial recovery in the stock market [2] Group 2: Intuitive Surgical - Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci surgical systems are widely used in surgeries, with over 11,040 systems installed globally by the end of 2024, and a 49% increase in hospitals with at least seven systems last year [5][6] - The company reported a 17% year-over-year growth in da Vinci procedures in Q1, contributing to a total revenue growth of 19% during the same period [7] - Intuitive Surgical's stock is currently trading at 63.7 times trailing-12-month earnings, indicating high expectations baked into its valuation [9] Group 3: Axon Enterprise - Axon Enterprise generates revenue from selling cameras and tasers to law enforcement, supplemented by software subscriptions for file management, resulting in a reliable revenue stream [10] - The company reported a 33% growth in total revenue last year and has a total addressable market over 50 times larger than its annual sales [12] - Axon's stock is trading at 122 times trailing earnings, reflecting a high valuation that may deter some investors [12][13]