This article examines the 10 stocks insiders were piling into recently. These stocks are in addition to the 10 stocks we previously covered: 10 stocks insiders are buying in March.
After a turbulent week, stocks began recovering on Monday, with all three major indexes posting gains. The broader market index rose 0.64%, blue-chip stocks gained 0.85%, and the NASDAQ Composite, still in correction territory, closed 0.31% higher.
Early Tuesday, stocks began to decline again as investors focused on the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting starting today. The key announcement for traders will come Wednesday when the Fed announces its interest rate decision, followed by a press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Since September, the Fed has cut interest rates three times and still, the broader market entered a correction.
Despite uncertainty from President Trump’s shifting tariff policies and geopolitical strategies, some analysts remain optimistic about AI’s future.
“We retain our view that there is more to go in stocks, and we keep our conviction in the long-term opportunities in stocks linked to both the artificial intelligence and power and resources transformational innovations,” UBS chief investment office said in a note Monday, according to CNBC.
Amid turbulence and uncertainty on Wall Street, looking at recent insider trades can provide valuable insights, as executives often have a deeper understanding of their companies. For example, when a CEO or CFO buys company stock, it may indicate strong confidence in the business’s future.
However, insider selling doesn’t always signal a lack of confidence. It could be due to personal financial needs or a desire to diversify investments. These sales are often made through pre-arranged plans, like 10b5-1 plans, to avoid any appearance of improper timing.
While insider activity can be informative, it’s important to consider it alongside the company’s financial health, market trends, and industry developments.
Our Methodology
We used Insider Monkey’s insider trading stock screener to analyze recent trading activities in several popular stocks. For each stock, we noted the number of insiders who recently acquired shares and the company’s market capitalization.
Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds, focusing on insider trading and stock picks from hedge fund investor newsletters and conferences. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
Let’s take a look at the 10 recent insider purchases.
10. American Express Company (NYSE:AXP)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $185.36 billion
American Express Company operates as an integrated payments company in the United States and globally. The New York-based company operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, International Services, Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include banking, credit cards, charge cards, and other payment and financing products, network, travel, and lifestyle services.
Recently, an investment management firm, Bretton Capital Management, discussed the stock saying that American Express was its best-performing stock, returning 60% last year. “Its premium credit cards are more popular than ever, and its moderately affluent customer base continues to spend. American Express did especially well signing up younger cardholders, a great sign that its growth can be sustained for years to come. The combination of healthy revenue growth and tight expense control led to an earnings-per-share growth of 25%.”
On March 7, one insider bought a total of $998,593 worth of American Express shares at a price of $269.89 per share. Currently, the stock is trading at $264.38, having lost 10.92% since the beginning of the year. However, over the past 12 months, American Express returned 19.65% to its investors.
The acquisition followed the company’s March 6 announcement that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Center, a software company modernizing expense management.
Twenty-three Wall Street analysts have given a “Moderate Buy” rating to American Express shares, with an average price target of $320.35, according to TipRanks. The average price target indicates a 21.17% upside from the latest price.
American Express is also among the 10 best stocks to invest in for the next 10 years.
9. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $234.57 billion
International Business Machines provides integrated solutions and services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The Armonk, New York-based company operated through four segments: Software, Consulting, Infrastructure, and Financing. It has strategic partnerships with various companies including software and hardware vendors such as Adobe, Amazon Web services, Microsoft, Samsung Electronics, Salesforce, Oracle and more. IBM is also one of the 11 best quantum computing stocks to buy right now.
Recently, the company announced that the Basque Government will install Europe’s first IBM Quantum System Two at the IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center in San Sebastián, Spain. This upgrade from the originally planned IBM Quantum System One is part of the BasQ initiative, which aims to make the Basque Country a leading tech hub. The advanced quantum computer, powered by IBM’s most powerful processor, IBM Quantum Heron, will be managed by IBM and is expected to be ready by the end of 2025. The Heron processor can perform complex calculations beyond the capabilities of traditional computers, using IBM’s Qiskit software for highly accurate quantum computing tasks
On February 28, one insider acquired $298,800 worth of IBM shares at a price of $249 per share. Currently, the stock is trading at $252.97 per share, having gained 15.08% year-to-date and 31.97% over the past 12 months.
Based on 15 analysts’ estimates, IBM stock is a “Moderate Buy,” with a price target of $260.00, writes TipRanks.
8. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $456.46 billion
UnitedHealth is a healthcare company operating in the United States and internationally. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company operates through four segments UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. Its offering includes consumer-oriented health benefit plans for various types of employers, medical plans, children’s health insurance, care delivery, wellness and consumer engagement, software and information products, pharmacy care services, etc. It is considered one of the 10 best strong buy stocks to buy right now.
For the full year of 2024, the company disclosed revenues of $400.3 billion, compared to $371.6 billion in 2023. UnitedHealth reaffirmed the 2025 performance outlook, including revenues of $450 billion to $455 billion, net earnings of $28.15 to $28.65 per share, adjusted net earnings of $29.50 to $30.00 per share and cash flow from operations of $32 billion to $33 billion.
On January 17, one insider acquired $511,575 worth of UnitedHealth shares at a price of $511.58 per share. Year-to-date, the stock declined 1.35% and now trades at $499.02. Over the past 12 months, its shares rose 2.46%.
Twenty-one analysts have given an average “Strong Buy” rating on UnitedHeatlh stock with a price target of $623.60, according to Stock Analysis. The average price target suggests a 24.97% upside from the latest price.
7. Thumzup Media Corporation (NASDAQ:TZUP)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $35.54 million
Thumzup Media Corporation operates as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider in the U.S. The Los Angeles, California-headquartered company builds influencer and gig economy community under the Thumzup mobile application.
In December the company confirmed the official integration of its platform with Elon Musk’s X Corp (formerly Twitter). This milestone granted Thumzup advertisers access to X’s impressive base of 535 million monthly active users, positioning the company higher in the digital advertising world.
In March, one insider, made three purchases acquiring that way a total of $32,457.20 worth of Thumzup shares at an average price of $3.61. Currently, the stock trades at $3.77 per share, having gained 9.91% since the beginning of the year. Over the past 12 months, its shares lost 16.41%.
Recently, the company announced it has surpassed 700 advertisers, achieving a CAGR of over 200%, highlighting its strong momentum in the $500 billion digital advertising market.
Currently, analyst coverage on Thumzup Media stock is limited.
6. Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $269.80 billion
Sixth on this list of 10 recent insider purchases is a designer and developer of cloud-based enterprise software for customer relationships, Salesforce. The San Francisco-based company offers applications focused on customer service and support, market automation, analytics, sales force automation, and e-commerce, while also providing industry-specific solutions. It is also one of the 10 best software stocks to buy according to billionaires.
Salesforce Agentforce is a platform that enables organizations to build, customize, and deploy autonomous AI agents for various business functions, including service, sales, marketing, and commerce. Some experts are bullish on the stock mostly because of Agentforce and recent positive projections on the future adoption of AI technologies.
Among the recent company’s development Singapore Airlines’s incorporation of Agentforce, Einstein in Service Cloud, and Data Cloud into its customer case management system, enabling it to deliver more consistent and personalized service to its customers.
“The rise of digital labor, powered by autonomous AI agents, is not just reimagining the customer experience — it’s transforming business,” stated Marc Benioff, chair and CEO of Salesforce. “We’re thrilled to partner with Singapore Airlines, a trailblazer in this AI revolution, to elevate their already outstanding customer service to unprecedented heights, augment their employees and collaborate on groundbreaking AI solutions for the airline industry. With our deeply unified digital labor platform, we’re bringing humans together with trusted, autonomous AI agents, unlocking new levels of productivity, innovation and growth.”
For the third quarter of 2024, the company reported revenue of $9.44 billion, up 8% year-over-year. In December, the company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.40 per share.
Recently, Mad Money host, Jim Cramer, commented on the stock saying “Salesforce….is a huuuuuuge buy.”
On February 28, one insider bought $499,355.48 worth of Salesforce shares at a price of $294.61 per share. Year-to-date, the stock dropped 16.03% and is now trading at $280.75. Over the past 12 months, Salesforce shares lost 6.58%.
The consensus rating on Salesforce stock from 42 analysts is “Moderate Buy,” according to MarketBeat. The average price target of $364.14 suggests a 29.67% upside.
5. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $171.35 billion
Goldman Sachs Group is a top global investment bank that serves high-profile clients, including multinational corporations, institutional investors, and sovereign wealth funds. Its diversified business model spans investment banking, consumer banking, trading & markets, and asset management, ensuring stability by not relying on a single sector. The stock is also considered one of the 10 most profitable value stocks to buy now.
Goldman Sachs has paid consistent dividends since 1999. In fiscal 2024, the company returned $3.8 billion to shareholders through dividends. On January 15, it announced a quarterly dividend of $3.00 per share, matching its previous payout. For the fourth quarter of 2024, Goldman Sachs reported net revenues of $13.87 billion, up from $11.32 billion in the same period in 2023.
On January 17, one insider purchased a total of $1.49 million worth of Goldman Sachs shares at a price of $619.02 per share. Year-to-date, the stock dropped 3.72%, and currently trades at $551.34 per share. However, over the past 12 months, Goldman Sachs returned 43.44% to its investors.
The company recently posted results of its new national survey 10,000 Small Businesses Voices revealing optimism among the small business owners about the coming year. The owners hope Congress will prioritize tax reform, address inflation, and increase access to capital to help them grow and create new jobs.
On March 14 the company issued an annual letter to its investors saying the company managed to achieve or exceed all the performance targets that it had set for itself. “Whatever the future holds, I am very confident about the trajectory of Goldman Sachs. We are ready to continue serving our clients and drive stronger returns for shareholders, as we execute with a relentless emphasis on client service, partnership, integrity and excellence,” wrote David Solomon, chair and CEO at Goldman Sachs.
Fifteen analysts have given Goldman Sachs stock an average “Moderate Buy” rating, with a price target of $665.54. The average price target suggests a 20.71% upside from the current price, writes TipRanks.
4. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT)
Number of Insiders Buying: 1
Market Capitalization: $163.76 billion
The fourth hot stock we decided to highlight in this list of 10 recent insider purchases is a manufacturer and seller of construction and mining equipment, industrial gas turbines, diesel-electric locomotives, Caterpillar. The Irving, Texas-headquartered company operates through three main areas: Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy and Transportation Industries. Caterpillar is also one of the top 10 stocks everyone is talking about.
On January 30, the company disclosed financial results for the full year 2024, revealing revenues of $64.8 billion, down 3% year-over-year. Operating profit margin was 20.2% in 2024, compared with 19.3% in 2023. Adjusted operating profit margin was 20.7% in 2024, compared with 20.5% in 2023. Full-year profit was $22.05 per share in 2024, compared with profit of $20.12 per share in 2023.
On February 4, one insider bought $36,557 worth of Caterpillar shares at a price of $367.57 per share. Currently, the stock trades at $342.64, having declined 5.55% since the beginning of the year, and 2.63% over the past 12 months.
Based on 16 analysts’ estimates, the average rating for Caterpillar stock is “Buy” and the price target is $383.8 per share. The average price target indicates a 12.01% upside from the latest price.
3. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Number of Insiders Buying: 2
Market Capitalization: $239.44 billion
Merck & Co. is a healthcare company focused on the development of treatment for oncology, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. The Rahway, New Jersey-headquartered company also operates an animal health division concentrated on veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions. It is a dividend-paying stock and one of the 7 most undervalued biotech stocks to invest in.
For the full year of 2024, the company reported sales of $64.16 billion, compared to $60.12 billion in 2023.
Among the recent company’s developments is the European Commission’s conditional approval for Merck & Co.’s WELIREG (belzutifan), the first oral HIF-2α inhibitor in the EU, for two indications: treatment of adult patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease and advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
Merck & Co. also recently announced positive results from two Phase 3 trials of a new HIV treatment called doravirine/islatravir (DOR/ISL). This once-daily, oral, two-drug regimen was tested in adults whose HIV is already well-controlled on other therapies. In both trials, DOR/ISL worked just as well as current treatments and met safety goals after 48 weeks. The results will be presented at the 32nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco. Merck plans to apply for approval to sell this new treatment by mid-2025.
In February, two insiders bought a total of $1.577 million worth of Merck & Co. shares at an average price of $88.38 per share. Since the beginning of the year, the stock declined 4.71% and now trades at $94.79. Over the past 12 months, its shares lost 21.94%.
The consensus rating on Merck & Co. stock from 23 analysts is “Moderate Buy,” according to MarketBeat. The analysts have projected a price of $117.12, suggesting a potential upside of 23.49%.
2. Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)
Number of Insiders Buying: 4
Market Capitalization: $6.26 billion
Celanese Corporation is a chemicals company serving industrial customers. Formerly known as Hoechst Celanese, it is a leading global producer of acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer. The Irving, Texas-based company operates 25 production plants and six research centers across 11 countries, mainly in North America, Europe, and Asia.
For the full-year 2024, Celanese reported a U.S. GAAP diluted loss per share of $13.86 and an adjusted earnings per share of $8.37. The company generated $10.3 billion in net sales, a 6% decline from the previous year.
In March, four insiders purchased a total of around $907,468 worth of Celanese shares at an average price of $54.27. At the moment, the stock trades at $57.37 per share, having dropped 17.11% year-to-date, and 64.45% over the past 12 months.
According to MarketBeat, 16 analysts have given Celanese a “Hold” rating, with a price target of $72.18. The average price target suggests an upside of 25.88% from the latest price.
1. PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG)
Number of Insiders Buying: 5
Market Capitalization: $37.53 billion
First on this list of 10 recent insider purchases is PG&E Corporation, whose subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Company is one of the largest utility companies in the U.S. The Oakland, California-based company provides electricity and natural gas to customers in northern and central California. It generates electricity using nuclear, hydroelectric, fossil fuel-fired, fuel cell, and photovoltaic sources.
Insider Monkey recently covered a bull case theory on PG&E Corporation stock by Acid Investments. In summary, the thesis argues that after the recent Los Angeles wildfires, the stock has been unfairly punished even though the fires happened outside its service. What’s more, while Edison International (NYSE:EIX) operates in the affected areas and is facing a lawsuit, its stock dropped less significantly than PG&E.
In 2019, PG&E filed for bankruptcy caused by wildfire liabilities, but the company made a major restructuring. Acid Investment argues that the market’s harsh reaction is an overreaction and that the utility sector as a whole has been stable. What’s more, the company projects strong earnings growth of 10% annually in 2025.
How do insiders feel about the company’s recent punishment, was it deserved or is this just a good opportunity to acquire more shares while the price is lower? Well, in February and March, five insiders acquired a total of around $321,912 worth of PG&E Corporation shares at an average price of $15.82 per share.
Year-to-date, the stock dropped 15.21% and is now trading at $17.11 per share. Over the past 12 months, PG&E Corporation returned 6.54% to its investors.
Based on 14 analysts’ estimates, PG&E Corporation stock is a “Strong Buy” with a 12-month stock price target of $22.25. The average price target suggests a 30.04% upside from the latest price.
PG&E is also one of the 12 best electric utility stocks to buy now.
Overall, PCG is first among the 10 stocks with recent insider purchases. While we acknowledge the potential of PCG, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PCG but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap
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