Insider Buying Gets Selective as Markets Hit Record High

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By Lee Jackson Published
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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

Photo of Lee Jackson
About the Author Lee Jackson →

Lee Jackson has covered Wall Street analysts' equity and debt research and equity strategy daily for 24/7 Wall St. since 2012. His broad and diverse career, which included a stint as the creative services director at the NBC affiliate in Austin, Texas, gives him unique insight into the financial industry and world.

Lee Jackson's journey in the financial industry spans over 30 years, with nearly two decades as an institutional equity salesperson at Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Morgan Stanley. His career was marked by his presence on the sell side during pivotal Wall Street events, from the dot.com rise and bubble to the Long Term Capital Management debacle, 9/11, and the Great Recession of 2008. This is a testament to his resilience and adaptability in the face of market volatility.

Lee Jackson’s practical financial industry experience, acquired from a career at some of the biggest banks and brokerage firms, is complemented by a lifetime of writing on various platforms. This unique combination allows him to shed light on the intricacies and workings of Wall Street in a way that only someone with deep insider experience and knowledge can. Moreover, his extensive network across Wall Street continues to provide direct access for him and 24/7 Wall St., a privilege few firms enjoy.

Since 2012, Jackson’s work for 24/7 Wall St. has been featured in Barron’s, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, Business Insider, TradingView, Real Money, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Benzinga, and other media outlets. He attended the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and has a degree in broadcasting from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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