M. Jay Allison, Chairman and CEO of Comstock Resources (CRK), recently picked up 50,000 shares. The buy increased the CEO’s holdings by 3 percent, and came to a total price of $975,000.
A company director also picked up 14,000 shares on the same day, increasing their stake by about 10 percent with a $254,000 buy. Three other company directors have been buyers in the past three months.
All of these transactions have been the sole insider trading at the company in the last two years. Overall, company insiders own 65.5 percent of shares.
The oil and gas exploration company is up 119 percent in the past year, as energy prices have been one bright spot in the current market environment. Revenue has jumped 175 percent, and the company posted a profit in the most recent quarter.
Action to take: With energy prices well off their recent highs, they’re looking oversold right now and poised to move higher. Investors may like to pick up some shares here – and more on a dip. However, the company doesn’t pay a dividend right now, and there are other places in the energy space for strong income now.
For traders, the March $20 calls, last going for about $3.45 are near-the-money. The trade can potentially deliver mid-to-high double-digit returns well before expiration on a move higher in shares.
Disclosure: The author of this article has no position in the company mentioned here, but may trade after the next 72 hours. The author receives no compensation from any of the companies mentioned in this article.