U.S. corporate insider selling hits 20-month high in February

Corporate executives in the United States offloaded shares at a significantly higher rate than they purchased them in February, creating the largest gap between sellers and buyers since July 2024. This trend underscores a cautious stance among corporate leadership during a month characterized by increased market volatility.

Data provided by The Washington Service indicates that the seller-to-buyer ratio for public companies reached 4.2 in February, the highest level recorded in 20 months. There were 2,260 instances of insider selling compared to just 543 instances of buying. The total value of shares sold by individual insiders reached approximately $6.6 billion, the highest figure since August.