U.S. Corporate Insiders Sell $77.6B Stock in H1 2026, Second-Fastest Pace in 20+ Years

According to EPFR Global Market Intelligence, U.S. corporate insiders sold $77.6 billion worth of stock during the first half of 2026, marking the second-fastest pace in over two decades, up 20% year-over-year. The scale was surpassed only by 2021, when massive pandemic stimulus fueled record insider selling.

EPFR analyst Winston Chua stated that insider trading behavior indicates corporate executives lack strong appetite to increase equity holdings at current valuation levels. Simultaneously, insider buying activity remains subdued, with purchases of just $6.9 billion in H1 2026, only slightly above the seven-year low of $6.7 billion recorded in the prior-year period.