What is insider trading? Why would an investor engage in it?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Insider trading is using confidential information to gain from the purchase or sale of stocks. Confidential information is information that is not available to the general public but that is available to a few people because of their position within a company. For example, investors with inside information may sell a stock at a high price just before a piece of negative information becomes public and the price plummets, thus preventing a big loss. Similarly, an investor with inside information may buy stock at a low price just before a piece of favorable information becomes public and the price of the stock increases.