Alpha Buying: Insider Moves Signal Confidence Amid Market Turbulence

Increasingly, we hear talk of uncertainty.

Every analyst and commentator you speak to right now seems to express concerns about all the uncertainty surrounding the “Flood the Zone” strategy the new president is using to remake Washington in his own image.

The surveys of business owners and consumers alike identify a high level of confusion at this moment in time.

If the talking heads are not discussing tariffs, then inflation is the topic of the day.

It seems the pesky stuff will not go away.

Egg aficionados are suffering sticker shock.

The relationship between the United States and the rest of the world appears to be changing dramatically and rapidly.

You have to wonder how many people DOGE and Donald can fire before the number of unemployed kicks off a decent little recession.

Add in valuations for the broader market in general and tech stocks specifically that passed nosebleeds mixing at warp speed several months ago, and it is easy to see why investors are reluctant to break out the checkbook.

While it is true that more insiders are always selling more than buying, except during extreme market events, the ratio is excessively high even as the insider trading windows begin to open again as earnings season winds down.

I am not sure that insiders in the White House and on Capitol Hill are clear about exactly how this will play out, so it is not surprising that corporate insiders are mostly standing pat.

The high level of indecision would indicate that the small handful of insiders buying stock in the open market have high expectations for the company they run no matter how the economic and geopolitical events play out.

The CEO and one director at Amcor Plc AMCR seem very optimistic about the company’s future. They recently combined to buy over $2 million worth of stock.

Amcor PLC is a leading global packaging company, specializing in flexible and rigid packaging solutions for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, personal care, and industrial applications. The company operates in over 40 countries, serving a diverse range of clients, including major consumer brands looking for sustainable and innovative packaging solutions.

One of Amcor’s key strengths lies in its commitment to sustainability, with a strong focus on recyclable and lightweight packaging designed to reduce environmental impact. Its leadership in flexible packaging and the increasing shift towards sustainable materials provide long-term growth potential.

Financially, Amcor benefits from stable demand, strong cash flows, and a well-diversified customer base. The stock has shown resilience amid economic uncertainties, thanks to its strong pricing power and cost-management strategies that help mitigate rising raw material costs.

Along with the insiders buying, we can enjoy a nice payday while waiting for good news to increase the stock price as the shares yield almost 5%.

The CEO, CFO, and director were all buying in the recent selloff at Harmonic HLIT.

Harmonic Inc. HLIT isn’t a household name, but it’s quietly positioning itself as a key player in the digital infrastructure revolution. The company provides video delivery and broadband networking solutions, helping cable operators, media companies, and telecom giants upgrade their networks for the next generation of connectivity.

The market is laser-focused on the AI and data center arms race, but there’s a crucial missing piece: the need for faster, more efficient broadband networks to support these advancements. Harmonic is capitalizing on this shift, particularly with its expanding footprint in virtualized cable access and streaming video delivery. The transition from legacy networks to software-defined, cloud-based solutions is creating a tailwind for HLIT, and its partnerships with major cable operators like Comcast are a testament to its technological edge.

Financially, the company isn’t just a speculative play—it has real earnings power. Revenue for 2023 exceeded $600 million, with strong gross margins in both its Video and Broadband segments. The Broadband segment, driven by demand for virtualized cable access solutions, grew significantly and continues to be the growth engine. While some analysts worry about a potential spending slowdown from cable operators, the long-term need for higher bandwidth should keep the upgrade cycle going.

The stock trades at a reasonable multiple given its growth prospects, and its strong backlog provides visibility into future revenue.

The market did not care about the most recent earnings report. Although Harmonic posted record results, the guidance for the rest of 2025 was a little softer than traders hoped to see.

The top executives and at least one other member of the team do not share the market’s pessimism.

We have seen a lot of buying in regional and community banks recently.

While other segments of the economy may be concerned about what the administration may do, bankers are positively giddy about the possibilities. A reduction in regulatory pressure along with a more favorable M&A environment should provide a much more favorable operating environment for the next several years.

PCB Bancorp PCB has seen consistent insider buying by top executives and board members over the past several months.

Headquartered in California, PCB serves a unique niche, focusing on the Korean-American business community, a market segment that has historically shown strong customer loyalty and robust lending demand.

Unlike many regional banks still struggling with deposit flight and interest margin compression, PCB has managed its balance sheet conservatively. The bank boasts solid asset quality, a well-capitalized position, and a loan book that skews toward commercial real estate—an area that, while under scrutiny, remains a core strength for relationship-driven banks like PCB.

With a return on equity consistently in the double digits and a strong efficiency ratio, PCB isn’t just staying afloat—it’s thriving. Its conservative underwriting approach has kept credit losses in check, and the bank has benefited from higher interest rates, with net interest margins holding up better than many peers.

Trading at a modest valuation relative to book value and earnings, PCB offers investors a high-yield, low-risk opportunity in a sector that remains underappreciated. While the broader market frets about commercial real estate exposure, PCB’s niche customer base and disciplined lending approach position it well for steady growth.

This kind of small bank won’t make flashy headlines but could quietly compound returns for patient investors.

The people running the bank certainly seem to think so.