Key Insider Buying Spurs Inuvo Rally
Aug 19 2013, 15:40 | 1 comment | about: INUV (Inuvo, Inc.)
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. (More...)
There many different factors that can affect a company's change in stock price. The usual reasons for change in momentum are related to things such as: earnings, mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, large-scale contracts, and even key hirings. However, one aspect that often goes overlooked to the non-professional investor is insider buying. Sometimes, WHO is buying a stock and WHEN they are buying it can be more important than WHY they are buying and HOW much have they purchased. Especially when that "WHO" is Mr. Charles D. Morgan and the "WHEN" is now. This happens to be precisely the case with Inuvo, Inc. (INUV), an internet marketing and technology company specializing in marketing browser-based consumer applications, managing networks of website publishers and operating specialty websites. A company that Mr. Morgan just so happens to be familiar with, as he is a member of their Board of Directors.
The stock has recently increased from $0.85 to as high as $1.23 thanks in part to an encouraging upswing in earnings. However, even more encouraging than the company's improved financial standing has been the recent filings of FORM 4 (Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership). The most recent documents would show that the company's CEO, Mr. Rich Howe and Board Member Charles D. Morgan have added to their position in the company by purchasing shares in the open market. That's right, these two "insiders" didn't simply "grant" themselves additional shares of the company, they actually purchased them at market price ... just like actual investors.
To be fair, often times CEOs purchase shares in a strategic manner to send a clear message to the investment community that they remain financially committed to the company. So I can understand why cynics may dismiss management's buying as a tactical maneuver. However, the buying of Charles Morgan should not be down played. Very rarely do uber-wealthy entrepreneurs buy stock for the sake of appearance.
Charles Morgan served as the company leader for Acxiom Corporation (ACXM), a marketing technology and services company with offices in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. He is also an equity owner of Bridgehampton Capital Management LLC, for which he also serves as Chairman of its Advisory Board and co-manager of investments. He is also member of several Board of Directors, most notably ... Inuvo.
Mr. Morgan is the proud new owner of 115,000 shares of Inuvo, purchased in the open market between $0.97 and $0.98. The buying took place between August 12, 2013, and August 14, 2013. It is unclear if this is a one time attempt to bolster his position, or if he intends to buy more. In my opinion, this I far more impressive than any company stock buyback or CEO taking restricted stock in lieu of a cash bonus. This is a company insider with a strong public market background willing to invest in his company, in the truest sense of the word.
Additionally, it does appear that he is buying stock at the right time. The Company is in the midst of escalating financial gains. Management announced last week that it recorded net income of $382,000 or 2 cents per diluted share for the second quarter of 2013 compared to a net loss of $3.0 million, or $0.13 per share loss last year. Revenue for the second quarter of 2013 was $13.1 million compared to $12.9 million in the same period of 2012. Adjusted EBITDA was $848,000, a 316% increase, compared to the second quarter of 2012. The company also reported that unaudited revenue for the month of July exceeded $5 million.
The company is an operation within a global online marketplace that has been estimated to exceed $100 billion by the end of next year. It has established deep relationships with industry leaders Yahoo (YHOO), Google (GOOG) and Microsoft's (MSFT) Bing along with its more than 7.6 million users on its proprietary ALOT Appbar. Their expanding web presence has allowed the company to literally increase revenue with every click of a user's mouse.
While I do not own any Inuvo yet, I have followed the company for some time. The company does appear to be in the midst of turnaround and escalating earnings coupled with the strength of the industry present a case that there is a great deal of upside here. And did I mention ... the company's CEO and billionaire board member are buying the stock. That is good enough to keep it on my screen.
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