Key points
- Amazon is the best-selling stock in 2024 based on shares sold and their value, but investors shouldn’t worry.
- Meta Platforms is the best-selling stock by number of transactions, 185: Stock-based compensation is the reason.
- Intuitive Surgical is the best seller in terms of the number of insiders selling, nearly a dozen, but share prices are rising due to its leadership position.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: AMZN), and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) are the stocks most sold by insiders in 2024, but investors should buy them all. Although they are not closely related, they all are Leading technology Which had a long-lasting impact on daily life. This influence is deeply rooted in global society and continues to change the way we live today. It will continue to do so long into the future, increasing shareholder value all the time. Other unifying factors include the use and development of artificial intelligence, which extends from its infrastructure foundations to its more advanced applications. This factor ensures that their leadership positions will remain intact long into the future.
Stock-based compensation is why these stocks are often sold
Stock-based compensation is the primary factor in why these stocks are the best sellers. All three companies use stock-based compensation, which leads to insider selling due to rising stock prices. All three stocks are up more than 100% in the past 18 months, led by a 500% advance in Meta Platforms.
Meta Platforms insiders are likely to continue selling shares at current prices, and prices are expected to rise. The 2024 results were strong, demonstrating the impact of investment and AI effectiveness on user metrics and internal operations. This has prompted analysts to raise their price targets and lead the market. The revision trend indicates a potential move above $800 in 2025, representing a 35% increase from the opening bid on January 1, 2025.
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Meta Platforms is the best-selling stock in terms of number of informed sellers. Ten insiders sold 185 times in 2024, including several sales made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO, CEO, CFO, CCO, and CTO. Despite this, they and other top insiders still own more than 13% of the shares and provide a strong support base. Institutions also provide support. Institutional activity is mixed quarterly in 2024 but generally bullish and bullish in Q4, helping move to new highs. The first reports from 2025 are also optimistic, with several private money managers increasing their holdings.
Amazon is the hottest seller in terms of stock and dollar value
Amazon was the best-selling stock of 2024, with more than 44.4 million shares sold worth nearly $8 billion. InsiderTrades.com tracked 52 sales by 11 insiders, including founder Jeff Bezos, CEO Andrew Jassy, industry CEOs, and board members, who are likely to continue selling in 2025. Despite the activity, The group still owns more than 10% of the company. And their sales didn’t raise any red flags.
Corporate activity more than compensates for Amazon’s internal selling. Institutions bought into each quarter of 2024, and activity remained flat through the end of the year. Early reports show institutions continuing to buy in 2025, with significant increases in positions from many public and private money managers. Analyst activity is consistent with this trend, including flat revisions from over 40. They peg the stock at a Moderate Buy and see it rising another 20% in 2025.
An intuitive purchase is an intuitively good purchase
Intuitive Surgical is a leading medical technology company and a leading name in healthcare providing robotic surgical devices. Da Vinci is in demand, with the number of placements and corporate actions growing steadily quarterly and annually. An important detail is the company’s recurring revenue, which is related to the volume of procedures and supplies. Its use of artificial intelligence focuses on assisting processes and procedures, including remotely assisted procedures.
Cash flow is also important. Strong cash flow allows the company to maintain its clean balance sheet while investing in growth and research and development. Highlights include net cash position relative to total liabilities, cash equal to 4 times liabilities, and higher equity. Shareholder equity rose 17% in 2024 and is likely to increase by another double digit in 2025.
In terms of insider selling, Intuitive Surgical is the top seller in terms of number of insider sellers. InsiderTrades tracks 57 sales by 16 insiders, including the CEO, CFO, several executive vice presidents and a senior vice president. They still own about 1% of the stock, a small amount exacerbated by institutions. Institutions have bought this stock every quarter of 2024 and in the first three days of 2025.
Companies in this article:
| a company | Current price | Price change | Dividend yield | P/E ratio | Consensus rating | Consensus price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intuitive Surgery (ISRG) | $534.82 | +2.1% | nothing | 85.98 | Moderate purchase | $554.17 |
| Meta Platforms (META) | $603.86 | +0.8% | 0.33% | 28.44 | Moderate purchase | $642.88 |
| Amazon.com (AMZN) | $223.75 | +1.6% | 0.09% | 47.91 | Moderate purchase | $243.44 |
expertise
Thomas Hughes has been a contributing writer for InsiderTrades.com since 2019.
Areas of expertise
Technical analysis, S&P 500; Retail, Consumer, Consumer Staples, Dividend, High Yield, Small Business, Technology, Economic Data, Oil, Cryptocurrency
education
Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology
Past experience
Market watcher, trader and investor for many sites. She founded Passive Market Intelligence LLC to provide market research insights.
