From the Desk of Steve Strazza @Sstrazza and Alfonso Depablos @AlfCharts
Welcome to the Hot Corner Insider Weekly Report!
As you know, we spend a lot of time tracking insider activity to come up with this universe.
But that’s only half the battle!
Once we identify the names insiders are targeting, we overlay our expert technical analysis to see if the market agrees with their actions.
While we track some of the most powerful and well-informed market participants… we aren’t just going to follow them blindly into their trades.
We want to see that the insider activity is confirmed by the trend before we get involved.
When we can check both of these boxes, we identify asymmetric risk/reward setups, and then jump in and ride these trends higher alongside the smart money.
Today’s standout insider activity features some intriguing moves across key players.
Director Neil de Crescenzo made waves with a Form 4 filing, snapping up 100,000 shares of CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings $CCCS—a significant bet on the company’s future.
Meanwhile, at Ardelyx $ARDX, director David Mott—on the board since 2009—dropped a cool $1 million on shares, a bold show of conviction.
Here’s The Hot Corner, with data from December 23, 2024:
Over at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co $AJG, the COO joined the action, purchasing 1,115 shares—a subtle but telling vote of confidence from the executive suite.
Rounding out the action, insider buying also surfaced at Lowe’s Companies $LOW, The Lovesac Company $LOVE, and FB Financial Corporation $FBK, hinting at optimism in a diverse set of industries.
When Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway start buying, it’s time to sit up and take notice.
The Oracle of Omaha has returned to the open market with three intriguing purchases. Let’s dive into them.
First up, Occidental Petroleum $OXY. After a six-month hiatus, Buffett is back, snapping up shares. This marks the 29th Form 4 filing for OXY since he began building his position in early 2022.
Berkshire shelled out $400 million this time, bringing Buffett’s average purchase price to $54.02.
Here’s a chart highlighting the timing of Buffett’s $OXY purchases:
Next, Sirius XM Holdings $SIRI. Berkshire stepped in with a $107.2 million investment in the satellite radio giant.
He now owns 117,468,573 shares, equivalent to 34.6% stake.
Leading today’s list is Ariel Emanuel, CEO of TKO Group Holdings $TKO, making waves with an eye-popping $77 million purchase.
When a CEO drops this kind of cash on their own stock, it screams confidence in the company’s future.
Kenneth Courtis, independent director of Alpha Metallurgical Resources $AMR, followed suit with a hefty $2.4 million buy. Insider moves like this often hint at good things to come, or at least an upward move in the stock.
Here’s The Hot Corner, with data from December 18, 2024:
ConocoPhillips $COP saw action too, as director R.A. Walker scooped up 10,400 shares in the latest Form 4 filing.
But that’s not all. The president and CEO of 3D Systems Corporation $DDD, Jeffrey Graves, doubled down with a bold move, snapping up 60,000 shares of his own company’s stock.
Baker Bros Advisors, renowned for their biotech expertise, increased their stake in Bicycle Therapeutics $BCYC from 19.76% to 22.90%, as disclosed in a 13D filing.
This signals strong confidence in the company's prospects, likely tied to its innovative "Bicycles" platform for developing novel therapies.
Given the Bakers' track record, their investment is a notable endorsement of Bicycle Therapeutics' potential.
In essence, when the Bakers buy, biotech investors pay attention.
Here’s The Hot Corner, with data from December 17, 2024:
Two notable insider purchases were disclosed via Form 4 filings in the energy sector:
PBF Energy Inc $PBF: Control Empresarial de Capitales SA reported a purchase, adding $5,357,162 to its current position.
Diamondback Energy $FANG: Director Steven West also disclosed buying shares for $975,960.
Executives might sell their shares for any number of personal reasons—funding vacations, covering big expenses like a daughter's wedding, or diversifying their investments.
But when they buy their own stock, it speaks volumes. There's usually only one reason: they believe the stock is undervalued and poised to go up.
While many are quick to sound alarms over insider sales these days, I prefer to focus on when and where these leaders put their money into their own companies.
Then, as technicians, we decide if the stock offers a favorable risk vs reward opportunity that we want to join in on.
One transaction from today's list that stood out was made by Eric Schuppenhauer, Executive Vice President and Group Business Unit Leader for Borrowing at SoFi Technologies $SOFI.
Schuppenhauer, who joined SoFi in September, made his first open-market...