Insider Buying Gets Selective as Markets Hit Record High

Investing

Published: November 15, 2014 9:10 am

While it is hardly unexpected, as the stock market continues to print new highs, the number of shares being bought by insiders continues to drop. Even though quite a few insiders made purchases this past week, the dollar and share amount of the trades paled in comparison to the insiders who sold this week.

We track insider buying every week at 24/7 Wall St., and even though the size of the trades is falling off in the rally, the mere fact that the buying is consistent, and some trades are still big, is a very positive and bullish trend for investors.

Here were this past week’s top insider buys.

Web.com Group Inc. (NASDAQ: WWWW) saw a 10% owner come in and make a massive purchase of the stock. Okumus Fund Management bought a staggering 1.44 million shares at $15.70, for a total purchase of $22.6 million. The stock had been trading near a 52-week low after missing earnings, so this a positive sign for shareholders. Shares were trading on Friday at $16.31. So, a well-timed buy.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) is one of the battered and bruised energy stocks. In a very positive sign for investors, a director of the company has taken advantage of the sell-off and purchased 500,000 shares of the stock at $23.32. The total purchase came to a sizable $11.7 million. With shares trading at $22.99 on Friday, he may have wanted to wait a little longer.

ALSO READ: Insider Selling Volume Surges on Market Rally

Southern Copper Corp. (NYSE: SCCO) makes its weekly return to the 24/7 Wall St. insider buying screens. Once again, the chairman of the company has bought stock, this week adding an additional 500,000 shares at $28.90, for a total purchase amount of $14.4 million. The shares were trading Friday at $29.13.

United States Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) saw some buying at the very top of the company. The CEO and the CFO at the steel giant bought a combined 54,851 shares of the stock at prices ranging from $35.20 to $37.60. The total for the purchase came to about $2 million. The stock was trading Friday at $34.93.

Prospect Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: PSEC) saw some of the top officers at the firm take advantage of the dip in the share price at this top, high-yielding business development company. The CEO, COO and a director bought a combined total of 116,512 shares at prices that ranged from $9.40 to $9.57. The total buy came to $1.2 million. This is the third time this year insiders have bought stock when the price dropped. Shares were trading Friday at $9.65.

Other companies that saw insider buying this week included: Coronado Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: CNDO), AK Steel Holding Corp. (NYSE: AKS), Jive Software Inc. (NASDAQ: JIVE), Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P), Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) and Dish Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH).

ALSO READ: Key Insider Buy Lifts Pandora Shares

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