Choose Your Tracking Method
Decide how you want to track insider trading: directly through the SEC EDGAR database, using a dedicated tracking tool like Trabud, or through financial news sources. Trabud offers the easiest approach with natural language search and real-time data.
SEC EDGAR
Free, official source. Complex interface, requires manual searching.
Trabud (Recommended)
AI-powered search, real-time data, easy filtering and analysis.
Financial News
Curated highlights, but delayed and incomplete coverage.
Identify Companies of Interest
Start with companies you already own or are considering. You can also look at entire sectors, market cap ranges, or follow specific executives known for their track records.
Filter by Transaction Type
Focus on the transactions most relevant to your analysis. Insider purchases (open market buys) are generally more significant than sales, as they represent insiders spending their own money. Filter out option exercises and gifts to focus on meaningful trades.
Transaction Types to Watch
- Open Market Purchase: Most significant - insider buying with their own money
- Open Market Sale: Less significant - often for diversification or taxes
- Option Exercise: Usually part of compensation - less meaningful
- Gift: Estate planning - not an investment signal
Set Up Monitoring
Create a regular routine to check insider activity. With Trabud, you can search for recent transactions, view the dashboard for daily updates, or use the AI agent to ask specific questions about insider activity.
Try Trabud's Real-Time Tracking
Use the dashboard for daily updates or ask our AI agent specific questions about insider activity.
View DashboardAnalyze and Act
When you spot interesting insider activity, dig deeper. Look at the insider's history, the transaction size relative to their holdings, and whether multiple insiders are trading in the same direction. Use this information as one input in your investment research.
Tips for Effective Tracking
Focus on Cluster Buying
Multiple insiders buying around the same time is often more significant than a single purchase. Look for patterns across the executive team.
Consider Transaction Size
A $50,000 purchase means more from a VP than a CEO earning millions. Look at purchases as a percentage of the insider's total holdings.
Check Historical Context
Has this insider bought before? What happened to the stock afterward? Track record matters.
Don't Rely on Insider Data Alone
Insider trading is one data point among many. Combine it with fundamental analysis, technical indicators, and broader market context.