RE: RE: Insider Trading Check out page 16 of https://www.parallelenergy.ca/images/may%208%20circular.pdf which explains the compensation package and the restricted share units. These form part of management's and the directors bonus and salary and are effectively income, not trading shares. Although it might make sense to hold, fiscal prudence says they should cash in as soon as the shares vest. Although management are well paid, I'm sure they still have mortgages to pay and other bills and deferring their salary in the hopes of making even more money is way too risky and also crimps their personal cash flow.
The government changed the way capital losses were handled from being applied against income to being applied against future capital gains. I lost a lot after 2000 and I remember getting a huge cheque back from the government because of my capital losses. I'm sure I wasn't the only one getting a big cheque back which is why they changed the law almost immediately afterward.
This change really hit Nortel employees hard. Read the article at https://www.canada.com/business/story.html?id=1643923. Big tax bills with no income to show for it.
It is very good practice for the insiders to cash in their options and other forms of stock compensation as soon as they vest. The risk is just too high that the government could screw them, their own company could go belly up or the market could crash. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Even more interesting is that there is no pension plan for the CEO, he has to take care of his own investments and future. Knowing that he has decided to put a good chunk into his own company gives me that warm and fuzzy feeling even though I'm well underwater with this stock.