US Corporate Insider Stock Sales Surge 20% YoY in H1 2026 to $77.6B
US corporate insiders sold $77.6 billion worth of stock in the first half of 2026, a 20% year-over-year increase and the second-largest half-year total in over 20 years. Purchases totaled just $6.9 billion, a ratio of over 11 shares sold for every one bought.
Insider stock selling by US corporate executives jumped 20% year-over-year in the first half of 2026, reaching $77.6 billion — the highest half-year total since the first half of 2021 and the second largest in more than two decades.
In contrast, insider purchases amounted to only $6.9 billion over the same period, slightly above the seven-year low of $6.7 billion set in 2025. This means executives sold more than 11 shares for every one share they bought during the first six months of the year.
The surge in selling comes amid growing insider concerns over geopolitical risks, elevated valuations, and uncertainty around the sustainability of AI-related spending. Corporate insiders are locking in historic gains.
Source: The Kobeissi Letter