Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is witnessing a surge in insider selling activity, with several top executives offloading significant portions of their holdings.
According to an SEC filing, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer Mark David Brazeal has sold a substantial portion of his holdings, raising concerns among investors.
Brazeal executed two notable stock sales in early October 2024, totaling over $7 million. On October 9, 2024, Brazeal sold 18,900 shares at an average price of $182.88, bringing in approximately $3.46 million.
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This followed a sale on October 7, when he offloaded an additional 20,280 shares at $177.10 per share, netting around $3.59 million. After these transactions, Brazeal still holds 380,560 shares, worth nearly $69.6 million, representing 0.0081% of the company’s outstanding stock.
Broadcom’s insider selling trend
These sales are part of a broader trend of insider selling at Broadcom. Over the past year, Brazeal has sold more than 53,000 shares without making any purchases, mirroring the actions of other top executives.
For instance, CEO Hock Tan has been actively selling shares throughout 2024, including a major sale of 150,000 shares on September 24, worth $25.94 million.
Additionally, Broadcom insiders, including Division President Dr. Charlie B. Kawwas, have collectively sold millions of dollars worth of shares.
While insider sales don’t necessarily signal imminent trouble for a company, they are closely monitored by investors, as they can reflect executives’ views on the company’s future stock performance. In Broadcom’s case, the absence of recent insider purchases further highlights the cautious sentiment among top executives.
This trend isn’t unique to Broadcom, Nvidia has also seen a wave of insider selling in 2024. Nvidia insiders have sold over $1.8 billion worth of stock, or almost 11 million shares, in 2024, marking the highest level since 2020 as Finbold reported.
What does this mean for Broadcom investors?
Brazeal’s sales come at a time when Broadcom’s stock has reached historically high valuations.
The company’s current P/E ratio of 153.58 and forward P/E of 30.63 suggest that investors are paying a premium for future growth expectations.
Broadcom’s large market cap of $847.62 billion and enterprise value of $907.62 billion underline its scale, but a high P/S ratio of 17.40 and P/B ratio of 45.44 indicates potential overvaluation. Additionally, the price-to-GF Value ratio of 1.83 reinforces that the stock could be trading above its intrinsic worth.
At the same time, machine learning algorithms predict that Broadcom’s stock price could reach between $180 and $220 by the end of 2024, reflecting optimism for further growth. Moreover, Broadcom is projected to rise to $192 by the end of 2025, suggesting that the company still has room to grow in the long term.
However, these elevated valuations, combined with a modest dividend yield of 1.17% and a free cash flow yield of 2.20%, raise questions about whether Broadcom’s stock price can be justified in the near term. The ongoing insider sales only add to these concerns, indicating that top executives may see limited upside at current levels.
Broadcom stock performance
Currently trading at $181.48, Broadcom has delivered a strong year-to-date gain of 66%, showcasing robust performance in 2024.
However, the continued insider selling and high valuation metrics could be warning signs that the stock is nearing its peak. While machine learning algorithms predict that Broadcom could trade as high as $220 by the end of 2024, investors should remain cautious.
Investors should carefully consider these factors as they assess Broadcom’s potential for sustained growth in 2024 and beyond.
