T. Boone Pickens Trade Highlights the Past Week's Insider Selling

Investing

Published: September 12, 2015 9:20 am

As has been the case for almost a month now, the market volatility and weakness have pretty much scared off most of the insiders looking to sell while attracting large numbers of insiders looking to buy. This week was no different, as the market continues its post-plunge roller coaster and stocks still to trade in a very sloppy fashion.

We cover insider selling every week at 24/7 Wall St., and we like to always remind our readers that just because an individual or 10% institutional owner is selling stock, that is no cause for immediate alarm. Many top executives, and even directors, are compensated with stock and often sell just to diversify or purchase other assets.

Here are companies that reported notable insider selling this week.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE) saw a legendary energy investor selling shares this past week. T. Boone Pickens sold a total of 697,800 shares of the stock at prices that ranged from $4.75 to $5.18 apiece. The total for the trade came to a sizable $3.4 million. Clean Energy Fuels provides natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicle fleets in the United States and Canada. The shares were trading at $4.07 on Friday’s close — shareholders may have been spooked by the Pickens sale.

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ExamWorks Group Inc. (NYSE: EXAM) had its executive chairman selling stock last week. The chairman parted with a total of 247,127 shares at prices that ranged from $33.71 to $34.69 per share. The total for the sale came to a large $6.9 million. The company provides independent medical examinations, peer and bill reviews, Medicare compliance and other related services in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The stock ended trading on Friday at $31.82, so well-timed indeed.

Ferro Corp. (NYSE: FOE) had a director at the company hit the selling window last week. That director sold a total of 275,000 shares of the stock at prices between $12.10 and $12.30 apiece. The total for the sale came to $3.4 million. The company produces specialty materials in the United States and internationally. The stock closed trading on Friday at $12.24.

HubSpot Inc. (NYSE: HUBS) is a stock that hits our screens again, and last week a director at the company shed 72,197 shares at prices that ranged from $46.11 to $47.18. The total take-home from the sale was $3.4 million. The company provides a cloud-based inbound marketing and sales software platform for businesses in the United States, Ireland and Australia. The shares were at $49.07 as trading concluded on Friday.

Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FANG) is a top energy stock that caught some insider selling this past week. A director parted with 47,433 shares at prices between $66.92 and $67.74 per share. The total for the sale came to a tidy $3.2 million. This independent oil and natural gas company focuses on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. Shares ended the week at $66.31.

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These companies also reported insider selling this past week: Capella Education Co. (NASDAQ: CPLA), LHC Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LHCG), Memorial Resource Development Corp. (NASDAQ: MRD) and White Mountain Insurance Group Ltd. (NYSE: WTM).

The beat goes on for light insider selling during the elevated market volatility. That is a pretty bullish sign for investors concerned about the overall market direction. If insiders are reluctant to sell, they obviously think that the stocks could be going higher.

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