The Insider Buying At These Companies May Represent Key Pieces Of The Investment Thesis Puzzle

Moving on to the next candidate, Ampliphi Biosciences Corp (NYSEMKT:APHB) saw three insiders buy stock this week. Independent Director Louis C. Drapeau purchased a new stake of 10,000 shares through multiple transactions at prices ranging from $4.26-to-$4.70. Wendy S. Johnson, Interim Chief Operating Officer and Director since September 2014, acquired a 1,000 share-stake at $4.43 per share. Lastly, the freshly-assigned Chief Executive Officer, Michael Scott Salka, purchased a new stake comprised of 4,200 shares for $4.75 each. The shares of the biotechnology company have lost half of their value since the beginning of the year, but seem to be bouncing back at the moment. As a matter of fact, the stock closed nearly 12% in the green on Wednesday, which might be an indicator that the stock is set to achieve its much-needed turnaround. It might also be the case that these directors and executives are betting on a potential turnaround as well. Similarly, their bullishness may also indicate that the company is on the right track when it comes to advancing its pre-clinical pipeline and is getting closer to the commercialization of its bacteriophage-based products.

Lastly, Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE:ARO)’s Director Karin Hirtler-Garvey reported the acquisition of 33,000 shares at a price of $0.58 per share, all of which are held by a trust fund for her child. After the recent acquisition, the trust fund holds 229,620 shares, 41,010 of which represent restricted shares that vest on March 26, 2016. The teen retailer has been struggling to lure customers to its shops, and has in turn also lost its charm among investors. Just recently, Aeropostale was warned by the New York Stock Exchange that it has six months to get its stock price above the $1 level in order to avoid delisting. The company may pursue a reverse stock split to solve this issue given that its struggling business would not allow it to meet NYSE’s requirements promptly. Most U.S.retailers have been adjusting their business models so as to survive in the highly-competitive market. Aeropostale has had a hard time generating strong sales lately, so quick changes need to be made so as to inject more dynamism into the stock and this insider purchase might hint to the fact that the retailer is set to rebound in the months or years ahead. Matt Sirovich and Jeremy Mindich’s Scopia Capital is the largest shareholder of Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE:ARO) within our database, holding 9.90 million shares as of June 30.

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