Benzinga | Nov 18, 2020 11:54AM EST

Insider Sells MSCI's Stock



Crum Scott A filed a Form 4 with the SEC on Wednesday, November 18. The insider sold 1,000 shares of MSCI Inc (NYSE:MSCI) at an average price of $395.00. After the transaction, the executive's stake in MSCI Inc. moved to 28,279 shares. Shares of MSCI rose by 0.2% from the previous closing price.

Why Insider Transactions Are Important?

Insider transactions shouldn't be used primarily to make an investing decision, however an insider transaction can be an important factor in the investing decision.

Insiders buying stock after a notable sell off can indicate an insider's long-term belief in the success of the company; insiders buying stock at new highs can be an indication the exec doesn't feel the stock is overvalued. Conversely, insiders who are selling stock at new lows can potentially indicate some kind of capitulation moment. Insiders selling at new highs can indicate that exec wants to "take some profit" and "lock in a gain."

Transaction Codes To Focus On

Wall Street tends to focus on insider transactions which take place in the open market, viewed inside a Form 4 filing via codes P for purchase and S for sale. If the transaction was an open-market transaction, that means that the insider made a concious decision for the company's stock moving forward.

Transaction codes other than P or S are often viewed with less conviction as they are often not tied to a decision by the exec. As an example, transaction code C indicates the conversion of an option. Transaction code A indicates the insider may have been forced to sell shares in order to receive compensation the exec was promised upon being hired by a company.