Insider Trading and Climate Disasters

Abstract

Climate disasters are increasing in frequency and severity. While a large body of research has shown that extreme climate affects various economic decisions, how climate events influence investment decisions remains largely under-investigated. This paper examines whether, and to what extent, climate disasters influence insider transactions, which are important investment decisions that attract increasing attention from both corporate management and policymakers. We find that the monthly value of insider trades increases markedly in firms headquartered in counties with a climate disaster. Climate-induced insider trading holds in general but is stronger when investors are distracted and less prevalent when insiders face higher litigation risk. Climate disasters trigger uncertainty about short-term firm fundamentals, and insiders benefit by selling prior to this being priced. Insiders living in disaster counties do not trade more than those in unaffected counties, which does not support a personal liquidity motivation. Our paper documents a new way through which climate impacts investor behavior and financial markets.