COO Puts $4M Into Uber as Insiders Signal Conviction

Uber President and COO Andrew MacDonald filed an open-market purchase worth $4.1 million on 8 September. He paid around $75.65 per share for 54,325 shares. A second tranche of 15,675 shares followed at $76.44, bringing his total outlay to roughly $5.3 million combined. Both were discretionary buys, with no 10b5-1 pre-plan attached, making them a stronger signal than routine scheduled sales.

Uber's short interest sits at just 2.3% of free float, so this is not a squeeze story. It is a straight show of confidence from the company's number two executive.

At Celanese, the CFO Chuck Kyrish stepped in to buy shares in August at around $45.50 each, joining two senior vice presidents who also bought at similar levels. The trades were small in dollar terms but notable given the stock's sharp decline. Short interest in the chemicals group stands at 6.2% of free float, and ORTEX noted shorts easing as the insider cluster appeared.

Away from US markets, the most striking trade on 7 September came from Turkish valve maker Burçelik Vana. Chairman Umit Gumus bought nearly $12.9 million worth of shares at 585 lira each. At the same moment, asset manager Bulls Portfoy sold $13.6 million of the same stock at 612.5 lira. The crossing of two large orders in opposite directions, filed on the same date, points to a deliberate transfer rather than independent sentiment.