Keeping an eye on insider trading activity in major corporations has become an indispensable task for analysts and investors.
These transactions are not just financial maneuvers; they are important indicators of executives’ confidence or apprehensions about the company’s future. For that reason, unraveling these subtleties provides valuable information, allowing stock market participants to make more insightful trading decisions.
Over the preceding three months, insider selling within S&P 500 companies has been substantial. As of January 9, our analysis delves into major corporations, pinpointing executives who have significantly divested shares during this period.
Picks for you
Which companies sold the most shares?
The S&P 500 company that witnessed the highest insider selling activity over the past three months is Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS). According to data shared by money manager Genevieve Roch-Decter, executives within the resort company sold more than 46 million shares during this period, translating to $2 billion.
The average sale price at which insiders sold the stock is $43.23, data shows.
Executives of the retail giant Walmart (NYSE: WMT) captured the second spot for most insider sales, offloading over 7.8 million of the company’s shares. In dollar terms, the insiders cashed out a total of $1.23 billion.
The software giant Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is the company registering the third-highest insider selling activity. Over the last three months, its management offloaded more than 1.9 million shares, totaling a market value of $465.9 million.
Not so far behind is social media behemoth Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), whose executives sold $464.8 million worth of the stock across the past 90 days, or 1.38 million shares. According to Roch-Decter, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, cashed out over $428 million during that period.
Rounding up the top five are insiders of Mastercard (NYSE: MA), who sold just over 1 million of the company’s shares.
Other companies that saw noteworthy insider sales are Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB), Warner Bros (NASDAQ: WBD), and ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), among others.
Roch-Decter noted that the aforementioned trades may not all be “straightforward sales.” Executives might also be selling shares to fund the exercise of new options or engage in other related financial activities, she said.
Buy stocks now with Interactive Brokers – the most advanced investment platform
Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.