Insider (redirected from Insiders)

In the context of federal regulation of the purchase and sale of Securities, anyone who has knowledge of facts not available to the general public.

Insider information refers to knowledge about the financial status of a company that is obtained before the public obtains it, and which is usually known only by corporate officials or other insiders. The use of insider information in the purchase and sale of stock violates federal securities law.

Insider trading entails the purchase and sale of corporate shares by officers, directors, and stockholders who own more than 10 percent of the stock of a corporation listed on a national exchange (any association that provides facilities for the purchase and sale of securities, such as the New York Stock Exchange). Insider reports detailing such transactions must be submitted monthly to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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insider n. someone who has a position in a business or stock brokerage, which allows him/her privy to confidential information (such as future changes in management, upcoming profit and loss reports, secret sales figures, and merger negotiations) which will affect the value of stocks or bonds. While there is nothing wrong with being an insider, use of the confidential information unavailable to the investing public in order to profit through sale or purchase of stocks or bonds is unethical and a crime under the Securities and Exchange Act. (See: insider trading)