Another biopharma firm sees insider buying here. Insiders in the pharma and biotech space continue to be bullish near current prices at many companies. The latest insider buys in the space occurred atNGM Biopharmaceuticals (NGM). Column Group LP, already a major owner with more than a 10 percent stake, bought another 34,000 shares late last week. These buys were shown as going to director Peter Svennilson. Director David Goeddel also picked up shares late last week as well. It’s always refreshing to see large buys by insiders that already have a huge stake in a firm, rather than see...

Billionaire owner adds to beaten-down research firm. Billionaire investor Mario Gabelli bought 3,544 shares ofAssociated Capital Group (AC) on June 20th. This doubles his personal share stake, but Gabelli is also Executive Chairman and owns more of the company through his Gabelli funds. The New-York based company was founded in 1976 by Gabelli as an institutional research firm based on bottom-up research and generating market-beating returns. Shares of the firm have traded between $32 and $46 in the past year, and currently trade around $35. Although the company has had negative...

Traders bet on a gold decline.After gold hit a 5-year high, one trader is betting on a pullback. On Friday, a bearish bet was made onBarrick Gold (GOLD). On Friday, over 7,100 contracts of the November $14 put options contracts had been traded, against an open interest of 155, representing a 46-fold surge in volume. This bet, with shares currently at $15.40, would need to see shares decline at least 9 percent between now and November to move in-the-money. Gold can be a volatile asset, and gold mining stocks tend to fare even worse. Many gold mining companies saw their shares drop 80-90 p...

Traders bet on rise in social media company.A bullish bet is being made that shares ofSnapchat (SNAP) will continue to rally in the next few weeks. On Thursday, over 11,700 contracts of the July 12th $15.50 call options contracts had been traded, against an open interest of 106, representing a 110-fold surge in volume. This bet, with shares currently at $14.70, implies that shares will rally by at least 5.4 percent in the next month. Shares of the social media giant have been rallying in recent weeks along with the rest of the market. Shares hit a 52-week high of $15 per share in trading...

Shares of gaming technology company are down over 60 percent from 52-week highs. Billionaire investor Ron Perelman bought 120,000 shares ofScientific Games Corp (SGMS) on Wednesday, June 19th. The total cost came in at over $2.34 million. Perelman is already a director at the company, and also a 10 percent owner as well. The Las Vegas-based company develops technology related to the gaming industry, including physical gaming machines, video lottery systems, and related hardware and software. With data showing a slowdown in tourism to Las Vegas, and with gaming revenues down, sha...

Traders bet on 35 percent jump in shares by midsummer. A large bet is being made that shares ofQualcomm (QCOM) will rally to $95 per share by the middle of August. On Wednesday, over 4,600 of the August 16th call options contracts had been traded, against an open interest of 278. This bet, with shares currently at $71, implies that shares will move higher by around 33 percent in the next two months. The unusual move in options contracts started ahead of the Fed meeting, and is a possible bet on a more favorable environment for global trade in the coming weeks. Shares of Qualc...

Insiders buy after shares already triple. Multiple insiders have been buying shares atProvention Bio (PRVB), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with a focus on preventing immune-mediated diseases. On June 18th, President and CEO Ashleigh Palmer bought 4,000 shares, paying over $43,000. And director Anthony Digiandomenico picked up 10,000 shares, paying over $118,000. This buy comes at an interesting time. The company had previously announced a public stock offering, but terminated the plan, while citing market conditions. The company also recently tripled after reporting p...

CEO, director continue to buy shares as oil languishes. Insiders have already been buying at oil and gas exploration firmEncana (ECA), but continue to pick up shares near current prices. On June 14th, CEO Douglas Suttles picked up 5,000 more shares of the company. And on Monday, June 17th, director Suzanne Nimocks picked up 10,000 shares. This ongoing type of buy is a pro move. Most individual investors can buy a stake in a company with one buy order. But making repeated buys, particularly at this size, ensures that the market price for shares stays stable. The timing looks sol...

Traders bet on Chinese e-commerce giant ahead of G20 meeting. A large bet is being made that shares ofAlibaba Group (BABA) will jump about 5 percent higher in the next month. On Tuesday, over 5,300 of the July $175 call options options had been traded, against an open interest of 133 options. This bet, with shares currently at $168, implies that shares will move higher by around 5 percent within the next month. The trade is most likely a way for traders to bet on a favorable outcome (or at least favorable comments now) regarding trade between China and the United States. With...

CEO a repeat buyer of shares near current prices.On June 14th, CEO Sean Downes picked up 3,000 shares of his company, Universal Insurance (UVE). But this isn’t his first buy in recent weeks. On June 11th, he picked up 2,500 shares. And on May 28th, he picked up 10,000 shares, all right around current prices. Overall, he has increased his stake slightly to 1.43 million shares. Universal Insurance is an integrated holding company that offers residential homeowner’s insurance, renter’s fire, as well as other policies as well. With a focus on high return on equity and solid underwritin...