We recently compiled a list of the 10 Mid-Cap Stocks Insiders Are Selling Recently. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS) stands against the other feminist stocks. We previously covered 10 Mid-Cap Stocks Insiders Are Buying Recently.
Why should investors analyze insider trading activity? Insiders, or people in high positions within a company—such as executives and directors—can have crucial insights into the company’s strategic moves, plans, and initiatives. When, for example, a CEO invests their own capital in company stocks, it can indicate strong confidence in the company’s future results.
What does it mean when insiders are selling their shares? It doesn’t necessarily mean bad news for the stock. Sometimes, large shareholders just want to trim their holdings to more appropriate position sizes based on the risk/reward potential.
It is important to note that both insider selling and buying can be driven by various motives. Therefore, any insider trading activity should be analyzed within the broader context of the company’s fundamentals, industry trends, and overall market conditions. Many insider purchases don’t necessarily mean the company will be successful. That’s why due diligence before any investment is of the utmost importance. Investors should also take into account and carefully analyze underlying reasons for insider transactions. However, insider trading activity in combination with other relevant factors can offer valuable insights into a company’s capabilities, helping investors make more informed investment decisions.
To identify the 10 mid-cap stocks insiders are selling recently, we considered only stocks with a market capitalization of between $2 billion and $10 billion. We first used Insider Monkey’s insider trading stock screener and looked for stocks with at least two insiders buying over the last two months.
With each stock we note the number of recent insider sales and the company’s current market capitalization. But why is it important to follow insider activity? 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here)
A scientist in a laboratory making a breakthrough discovery in biotechnology.
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS)
Number of Insiders Selling: 10
Market Capitalization: $5.152B
Ionis Pharamceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing RNA-targeted therapeutics. Currently, it has six marketed medicines and a pipeline in innovative therapies across areas of neurology, cardiology and rare diseases.
In December 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greenlighted Tryngolza, an RNA-targeted therapy developed by Ionis for the treatment of familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). Tryngolza is the first-ever FDA-approved treatment that significantly and substantially reduces triglyceride levels in adults with FCS and offers clinically meaningful reduction in AP events when used with an appropriate diet (≤20 grams of fat per day).
In January and February, 10 insiders, including CEO, CCO, and CBO sold approximately $5.12 million worth of Ionis Pharmaceuticals shares at an average price of around $32.54 per share. The stocks is now trading at $31.48, having lost 9.95% year-to-date.
As many as 18 analysts have “Buy” as the average rating for Ionis stock, while the stock price target is $62.0. David Lebowitz, an analyst from Citi, recently gave a “Buy” rating on the company’s shares, while the associated price target remains the same at $67.00.
Ionis is also one of the 12 Best Healthcare Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. Over the last 12 months, the company’s shares lost 37.51%.
Overall IONS ranks 3rd on our list of the mid-cap stocks insiders are selling recently. While we acknowledge the potential of IONS as an investment, 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 IONS 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
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
