quote.bloomberg.com
01/01 00:13
U.S. Executive, Director Share Purchases Fall to Six-Year Low
By Steve Matthews
New York, Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. executives and directors last year bought the smallest amount of shares in their companies since 1996 as stocks tumbled to five-year lows.
Purchases by insiders fell 2.1 percent to $2.64 billion, the third year of declines, said Washington Service, a research firm. The slowdown in buying after last year's 23 percent drop in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index suggests stocks could fall further, some investors said.
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The decline in purchases reverses an 8.3 percent increase in the first half, according to Washington Service.
Sales by insiders accelerated in September. In the past eight weeks, sellers exceeded buyers by a 2.3-to-1 margin, according to the Argus Vickers Weekly Insider Report. The number of sales typically exceeds purchases 2-to-1.
``Abruptly, in September, insiders increased their rate of selling to a dramatic level,'' said David Coleman, editor of the publication. ``The market remains vulnerable.''
(snip)
There have been few big buyers among the Nasdaq issues that have plunged since 2000.
Total Annual Values of Insider Purchases and Sales in 2002
Purchases Percent Sales Percent
Year (in mlns) Change (in mlns) Change
2002 $2,641.8 -2% $31,883.6 -32%
2001 $2,698.8 -49 $46,608.0 -42
2000 $5,280.5 -3 $80,149.7 61
1999 $5,466.5 27 $49,914.7 24
1998 $4,320.7 54 $40,153.9 26
1997 $2,803.3 14 $31,815.3 21
1996 $2,456.3 36 $26,314.2 57
1995 $1,812.6 -10 $16,764.8 33
1994 $2,008.9 -4 $12,598.2 -18
1993 $2,086.3 58 $15,401.2 27
1992 $1,316.6 57 $12,174.6 24
1991 $836.5 -27 $9,805.1 167
1990 $1,143.6 62 $3,667.3 -4
1989 $705.0 -26 $3,828.6 22
1988 $951.1 -43 $3,130.1 -48
1987 $1,671.8 -19 $6,059.0 -44
Source: Washington Service. Figures are as of Dec. 31.
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