Insider buying picked up for Matador Resources (NYSE: MTDR), Tenaya Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TNYA), and FirstSun Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: FSUN) in March. These companies rank high, if not in first position, for the number of insiders buying, the number of shares purchased, and the dollar amount spent, respectively. The question is, which are good buyers for investors, and is March a good time to buy them?
Matador Resources Insiders Can’t Stop Buying
Matador Resources is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company operating in the United States. It is no stranger to InsiderTrades, with its insiders having bought on balance for years. The March 2025 activity is noteworthy because the stock remains high on the list, ranking 1st for the number of insiders buying. Nine insiders, including the CEO, CFO, CAO, COO, EVP, and directors, bought shares from late February to late March.
Their activity is also noteworthy for the volume, which set a multi-year record, netting $1.1 million with no offsetting sales. Insiders now own more than 6.1% of the stock and will continue to increase their holdings over time.
The dividend is one reason the insiders have been buying this stock. The company is a solid dividend payer, yielding about 2.45% with shares near $52.50 and a distribution grower. For the last few years, the company has been increasing the payout every few quarters, lifting the payout by 1000% in four years, and this trend is expected to continue.
The payout ratio is very low at 11% and can sustain aggressive increases without business growth. The business growth is also good, running at a solid double-digit pace for fiscal 2024 and forecasted to maintain a high-single to low-double-digit pace for the next few years.
Insiders Buy Penny Stock Tenaya Therapeutics
Tenaya Therapeutics ranks high for the number of shares bought by insiders, which isn’t surprising, given the price of this healthcare stock. This penny stock trades under $0.70 after years of downtrend, offering a deep-value entry point. The problem for investors is that the buyer is a Major Shareholder, not a company executive—executives sold on balance during the quarter. The major shareholder is The Column Group, a venture capital firm focused on life sciences. It bought 35 million shares for nearly $25 million, bringing the holding to over 49 million or about 30% of the stock.
Tenaya is focused on revolutionizing heart treatments. It uses a three-pronged research approach targeting gene therapy, cellular regeneration, and precision medicine. The company has several treatments in its pipeline and is expected to generate positive trial results in 2025. Seven analysts rate the stock unanimously as a Buy and see it advancing more than 1000% at the low end of their target range. Institutions are also bullish on this stock, owning more than 90% of it and ramping their buying activity to a multi-year high in Q1 2025.
FirstSun Capital Bancorp Board Member Bets Big
FirstSun Capital Bancorp is a smaller regional bank operating in the Southwest. It is the most bought by insiders on a dollar basis, with a single buyer, in this case a director, making one large purchase. Director and former CEO of FirstSun Mollie H. Carter bought more than 1 million shares for just over $38 million, bringing total insider and major shareholder ownership to over 37%. Likewise, the institutions bought heavily in Q1 and March 2025, owning another 37% of the stock.
Among the catalysts for buying are the profound value and cash flow outlook. Following a botched merger, the stock trades at a discount to its peers and historical range, offering a significant upside highlighted by analysts. FirstSun analysts are bullish, rating a consensus of Buy with a 20% upside potential. The latest coverage includes newly initiated coverage by Piper Sandler’s Mathew Clark and a reiterated rating from Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods. Both come with consensus-beating price targets.
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