details

Executives are selling in droves, according to new data from a provider of insider trading and data analytics.

The ratio of companies with insider buying compared to insider selling stood at 0.27 in July, said the Washington Service. This is the lowest level since at least the year 2000

Overall, six million shares were sold in the finance industry, while 7.4 million shares were bought.

Insider buying and selling activity is an important metric for investors. It indicates if corporate insiders think the company has sufficient liquidity to endure a massive decline in economic activity and enough solvency to face an economy that might not be as strong as it was in the past.

So, who were the big sellers in July? CNBC compiled a list using data from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings:

• BlackRock’s Larry Ink sold more than 40,000 shares ($24 million).
• UnitedHealth Chair Stephen Hemsley ditched close to 230,000 shares ($70 million).
• B. Hunt Transport Chair James Thompson unloaded 15,000 shares ($2 million).
• Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman got rid of 150,000 shares ($8 million).

Still, financial services firm Raymond James noted that many sectors are still seeing greater insider buying, particularly in the financials.

Read More…