Insider Trading in the United States

Insider trading is the buying or selling of a corporation\u27s stock or other securities by an employee who has the potential to access non-public information about the company. Although most individuals associate insider trading with illegal activity, a majority of the trades are done legally. Illegal insider trading refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. This paper discusses disclosures, regulatory efforts, impact on investor confidence, relationship to ethics, and history of major court decisions regarding insider trading in the United States