**Institution: U.S. corporate executives are selling stocks at a near-record pace**

Odaily Planet Daily News: U.S. corporate executives are selling stocks at the second-fastest pace in over 20 years. For some investors, this is a typical warning signal, as it suggests that those most familiar with their companies' operations are cautious about the current market. According to data from EPFR Global Market Intelligence, in the first half of 2026, U.S. corporate insiders sold stocks worth a total of $77.6 billion, a 20% increase compared to the same period last year.

Over the past two decades, only the scale of selling in 2021 was larger, a time when the market was fueled by massive pandemic-era stimulus funds. "Insider trading behavior indicates that at current valuation levels, corporate executives have no strong intention to increase their stock holdings," wrote EPFR analysts including Winston Chua in a report.

Additionally, buying activity by corporate insiders remains sluggish. In the first half of 2026, they bought only $6.9 billion worth of company stock, just slightly above the $6.7 billion recorded in the same period last year, which was the lowest level in seven years. (Jinshi Data)