The Securities Trading Commission (STC) recently examined the acquisitions of several firms listed in the public stock market in 2000. The investigators wanted to examine the extent to which four different variables -- market capitalization, management's growth expectations (as measured by earnings growth), firm size, and investor sentiment -- affected suspicious insider trading activity. They hypothesized that all four variables would show a strong positive correlation to suspicious insider trading activity. However, after examining the acquisitions listed, they were surprised to find that none of the variables showed a strong positive correlation with suspicious insider trading activity, and in fact market capitalization and investor sentiment both showed a strong negative correlation.

 

The investigators also discovered that nearly all of these acquisitions seemed to have a slight jump in stock price in the days prior to acquisition, suggesting suspicious insider trading activity was prevalent. Such insider trading activity, if true, constitutes unfairness because it allows insiders to make a quick guaranteed profit that public investors have no access to. Investigators noted that new enforcement will be needed to assure a more fair and honest stock market.