The people who know the company best are accelerating their exit: US stock executives cashed out $77.6 billion in the first half of the year, marking the second fastest record in over twenty years

According to Zhitong Finance APP, in the first half of this year, the pace of stock selling by US corporate executives hit the second-fastest record in more than twenty years. For some investors, this is nothing less than a classic red flag—it suggests that those with the most insider knowledge are uneasy about the market outlook.

According to EPFR Global Market Intelligence, corporate insiders in the United States sold a total of $77.6 billion worth of stock in the first half of 2026, a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. This wave of sell-offs was only surpassed by 2021—when markets were flooded with cash due to pandemic stimulus policies.

EPFR analyst Winston Chua and his team noted, “Insider trading activity indicates that at current valuation levels, executives are not in a hurry to add to their stock holdings.”

In sharp contrast, corporate insider stock purchases remain subdued. In the first half of the year, they only bought stocks worth $6.9 billion, just slightly above last year’s seven-year low of $6.7 billion.

The EPFR team further stated, “Despite the continuous rise in the stock market, insiders are still unwilling to increase their personal exposure to equities.”

So far this year, the S&P 500 Index has risen by 10%, on track for its fourth consecutive year of double-digit gains. However, recent market sentiment has turned cautious: some traders are uneasy about the fast and high rally in chip stocks and are concerned that investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become excessive. In addition, as more large AI companies prepare to go public, the market is also worried that a surge in stock supply could put pressure on equities.