From Industry Titans to Tiny Fish: 3 Key Stocks Insiders are Trading

Key Points

• GeneDx insiders purchased $82 million worth of shares in Q2 2026 after the stock dropped 49% following a disappointing earnings report.
• Chevron director John B. Hess sold $109 million in shares in May without a 10b5-1 plan, a moderately negative signal as oil prices retreat.
• TSMC insider trading activity was mixed in Q2, with $14 million in sales versus $162,000 in purchases, including a buy from CEO C.C. Wei.

Insiders are making moves in massive and minuscule stocks in Q2 2026, with MarketBeat tracking notable buys and sells across several interesting names. This includes one of the world’s biggest names in energy and a gene testing stock that surged more than 2000% in 2024. A firm that some consider to be the most important company in the world also makes the list.

Chevron Insider Sells Over $100M as Oil Prices Retreat From Highs

Shares of oil giant Chevron NYSE: CVX have performed well in 2026, like many stocks in the oil industry. The conflict in the Middle East and the closure of  the Strait of Hormuz sent oil prices soaring, benefiting energy stocks. The Strait has seen intermittent increases in traffic since the conflict initially began, but it remains effectively closed, with traffic down massively compared to pre-March levels.

Still, oil has come down meaningfully, with West Texas Intermediate Crude down almost 20% from 2026 highs. This may come as markets anticipate that a deal between the U.S. and Iran will be reached at some point, avoiding an all-out war that would cause much longer-term oil disruptions. Chevron has come down as well, falling around 10% from its 2026 highs, but is still up over 20% on the year.

The stock also saw a large amount of insider selling in May, with MarketBeat tracking $109 million in sales. These sales were made by director John B. Hess and were not made under a predetermined 10b5-1 plan. Given the fact that oil prices are coming down, this is a moderately negative signal for Chevron. The stock may not be able to rely on oil price increases to drive shares higher. However, it is worth noting that sales have actually come down versus Q1, when MarketBeat tracked $205 million worth of sales.

GeneDx Insiders Load Up After Massive Earnings Plunge

Next up is GeneDx NASDAQ: WGS. The company provides genetic testing services, specializing in pediatrics and rare disease diagnostics. This small stock went ballistic in 2024, gaining by just under 2,700%. It topped this off with a 69% gain in 2025. However, things have taken a turn for the worse in 2026, with shares now down over 50% for the year.

Notably, its revenue growth rate has come down from a peak near 67% year over year (YOY) to 17% YOY in its latest quarter. GeneDx shares dropped 49% after the company’s latest earnings report as it posted a $10 million miss on revenue and a huge 22-cent miss on loss per share. The company also lowered its full-year guidance, and GeneDx’s market capitalization now sits near $1.6 billion.

However, insiders have been demonstrating big-time confidence in GeneDx since its post-earnings plunge. Overall, MarketBeat has tracked $82 million worth of insider buys in Q2, all of which came after its report. These buys come from Director Keith A. Meister and Casdin Capital LLC. Meanwhile, MarketBeat has tracked just $167,000 worth of insider sales, which came before its earnings report. While these buys are positive indicators for GeneDx, the stock clearly remains a highly volatile and risky name.

TSMC Sees Buys and Sells as Shares Continue to Climb

Last up is a stock that is anything but small, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing NYSE: TSM. As the artificial intelligence (AI) buildout has continued to progress and has shown few signs of slowing down, TSMC shares keep chugging higher. Overall, the stock is up well more than 40% on the year, with TSMC now trading just below a $2 trillion market capitalization. TSMC now ranks as one of the world’s top 10 most valuable publicly traded companies. With its dominance in advanced chip-making, many have called TSMC the world’s most important company.

TSMC’s last earnings report saw the firm post solid beats on sales and adjusted earnings per share. The company boosted its 2026 revenue growth guidance to over 30% YOY and increased its capital expenditure outlook—signaling long-term confidence.

Insiders are sending some mixed signals around the stock. MarketBeat has tracked $14 million worth of insider sales in Q2, compared to $162,000 worth of insider purchases.

Notably, CEO Che-Chia Wei (C.C. Wei) was one of the individuals who purchased shares. Vice President Chuang Tzu-Sou was a seller, reducing his shares held by around 7%.

Overall, these insider trades amount to a neutral indicator. Despite insider sales being significantly higher than buys, sales are generally much less indicative of insider sentiment. Insiders often sell just to gain liquidity, while buys signal direct confidence in a firm’s outlook.

Don’t Take Insider Trades as Gospel

While many of these trades send interesting indicators to investors, it is important to note that they are just one of many signals to consider. As stated, sales do not necessarily mean an insider is bearish on a stock. Meanwhile, insiders who purchase shares can be wrong about their company’s stock—especially in the near term.

A recent example of this surrounds apparel giant Nike NYSE: NKE. CEO Elliott Hill made headlines at the end of 2025 when he bought $1 million worth of beaten-down Nike shares near $61. Nike has continued to fall precipitously since then, now trading in the mid-$40s range.