Ouster (NASDAQ:OUST) Shares Down 6.8% on Insider Selling

Key Points

• Ouster shares fell 6.8% after insider selling, with the stock trading as low as $40.60 before finishing near $41.22. Trading volume was below average, suggesting the move was driven more by sentiment than broad market activity.
• Several executives sold shares, including COO Darien Spencer and CTO Mark Frichtl, with Frichtl making the largest sale of 308,742 shares for about $12.8 million. These transactions reduced insider ownership and likely pressured the stock.
• Analyst views remain mixed: Rosenblatt raised its price target to $53 and kept a Buy rating, while Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded the stock to Neutral and Weiss Ratings initiated coverage with a Sell rating. Overall, MarketBeat data shows an average Hold rating and a $42.80 target price.

Shares of Ouster, Inc. (NASDAQ:OUST - Get Free Report) fell 6.8% on Thursday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $40.60 and last traded at $41.2170. 1,133,099 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 58% from the average session volume of 2,682,366 shares. The stock had previously closed at $44.23.

Specifically, COO Darien Spencer sold 30,000 shares of Ouster stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 342,366 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,406,470. The trade was a 8.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Mark Frichtl sold 308,742 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.53, for a total transaction of $12,822,055.26. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 294,924 shares in the company, valued at $12,248,193.72. This represents a 51.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In other Ouster news, CTO Mark Frichtl sold 75,684 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.80, for a total transaction of $2,785,171.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 603,666 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,214,908.80. This trade represents a 11.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Analyst Ratings Changes

OUST has been the topic of several recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded shares of Ouster from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price objective on shares of Ouster from $40.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings assumed coverage on Ouster in a research note on Friday, May 15th. They issued a "sell (d-)" rating on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $40.00 target price on shares of Ouster in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $42.80.

More Ouster News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ouster this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ouster announced a strategic agreement with ARGUS Interception to strengthen counter-UAS systems using its digital lidar technology, reinforcing growth opportunities in defense and autonomous markets. ARGUS Interception and Ouster Announce Strategic Agreement
• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities lifted its price target on Ouster to $53 from $40 and reiterated a Buy rating, signaling stronger confidence in the company’s outlook. Ouster price target raised to $53 at Rosenblatt
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted Ouster’s momentum in defense and autonomous technology, helping fuel investor buying interest and the recent stock strength. Ouster Shares Rise As Defense Push, Analyst Targets Hike Boost Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders, including the COO, CTO, and CRO, disclosed stock sales over the past few days. While this can weigh on sentiment, it does not necessarily signal a change in business fundamentals. SEC insider filing for Mark Frichtl SEC insider filing for Darien Spencer SEC insider filing for Cyrille Jacquemet
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no reported short position change, so it does not appear to be a major near-term driver for the stock.

Ouster Trading Down 5.4%

The company has a market capitalization of $2.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.35 and a beta of 3.06. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $25.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $23.64.

Institutional Trading of Ouster

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Ouster by 114.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 217,390 shares of the company's stock worth $3,993,000 after purchasing an additional 116,096 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its position in shares of Ouster by 706.0% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 177,895 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,268,000 after purchasing an additional 155,825 shares during the period. Amundi grew its position in shares of Ouster by 40.1% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 21,921 shares of the company's stock valued at $403,000 after purchasing an additional 6,278 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Ouster by 50.3% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 79,401 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,459,000 after purchasing an additional 26,574 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in Ouster by 34.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,888 shares of the company's stock valued at $108,000 after purchasing an additional 1,507 shares during the last quarter. 31.45% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ouster Company Profile

Ouster, Inc is a leading provider of high-resolution digital lidar sensors, software and services designed to enable advanced perception capabilities across a range of industries. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company develops modular lidar solutions that capture precise three-dimensional data in real time, supporting applications from autonomous vehicles and robotics to mapping, smart infrastructure and industrial automation.

The company’s core product lineup features multi-beam digital lidar units available in various form factors, including compact models for robotics and drones and larger units for automotive and mapping systems.

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