Schwab co-founder dumps $15M at 52-week highs as RIA fees compress

Charles Schwab sold $15.4M of his own company this week. Discretionary. Not pre-planned under a 10b5-1. He chose Tuesday, with the stock sitting at $91.54, down 15% from its 52-week high of $108. That's 0.3% of his total position, a rounding error for a founder who still holds billions. But here's what makes it worth flagging: his only other sale in the last two years came in January 2024, a $6.6M discretionary move.

Zero buying in that window. The company just reported Q1 earnings last week. Beat revenue estimates by 1.2%, missed on EPS. The stock barely moved. Client assets hit $10.3 trillion, up 14% year-over-year, but net new assets slowed to $81B from $94B the prior quarter. Schwab sold the week after those numbers went public. Founders don't typically trim after earnings unless the next quarter's picture is already locked in their heads.

Pru Insurance buys $8.2M of parent at 52-week low

Prudential Insurance Company of America just bought $8.2M of PRU stock at $98.62, about 7% above the 52-week low. The purchase is discretionary and comes as shares sit flat for the year while the broader market rallies. The company buying its own stock near multi-year lows is about as close to a vote of confidence as you get.

S&P Global CEO buys $1M near 52-week low

Board member Cheung just bought $998K of SPGI at $426, adding 7.8% to her holdings in a discretionary purchase. The stock sits 26% off its 52-week high after the company's recent guidance disappointed on slower ratings volume. Her timing puts this buy squarely in the dip, betting the pullback has overshot fundamentals.

IP exec buys $313K near 52-week low as paper sector bottoms

Board member Tozier Scott just bought $313K of IP stock at $31.76, near the 52-week low of $29. Discretionary trade, not pre-planned. The stock is down 43% from its peak as packaging demand weakens and paper prices compress. Scott now has half his holdings riding on a recovery from multi-year lows.

GEHC CEO buys $250K at 52-week low, down 32% from peak

CEO Arduini bought $250K of GEHC at $61, just above the 52-week low of $59. Discretionary purchase, not pre-planned. The stock is down 32% from its peak as the company faces a shareholder lawsuit over alleged misstatements about pharmaceutical diagnostics revenue. His last open-market buy was 18 months ago at similar price levels.

GEHC CFO buys $201K near 52-week low after 32% correction

Board member Saccaro just bought $201K of GEHC at $61, close to the 52-week low of $59. Discretionary purchase, not pre-planned. The stock is down 32% from its $90 peak amid shareholder lawsuit noise about alleged revenue overstatements. Insiders buying near multi-month lows while lawyers circle tends to mean something.

Crown Castle completes asset sale, updates operations and names new officer

Crown Castle completed the sale of its fiber segment to Lightower for $6.5B while simultaneously announcing a C-suite shakeup and preliminary Q4 results. The REIT is exiting the enterprise fiber business to refocus entirely on its tower portfolio, using proceeds to pay down debt and fund buybacks. CFO departure and new appointments signal leadership refresh as the company pivots back to its wireless infrastructure roots at a time when the stock sits 23% below its 52-week high.

Crown Castle refinances $2B credit facility, extends maturity to 2030

Crown Castle refinanced $2.25 billion of debt, replacing an existing credit facility with a new term loan at lower rates. The telecom infrastructure REIT is cutting interest costs while its stock trades near the bottom of its range. Smart deleveraging while the Fed holds rates steady.

McCormick taps debt markets with new credit facility

McCormick locked in $1.5B of new credit facilities just as it trades near 52-week lows at $50. The spice giant is shoring up liquidity while its stock sits 36% below last year's highs. Smart defensive move that gives the company firepower if food input costs spike again or M&A opportunities emerge.

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