Important Points
- Inside buys converge on EW Scripps, First Financial Bankshares, and Crane, showing confidence—but each setup has unique risks.
- EW Scripps is the riskiest change in the group, while First Financial Bankshares is positioned as a high-return story.
- Crane combines insider buys with suggested guidance and increased earnings, with analyst and institutional sentiment bolstering the case.
Insiders buy shares in 2026, but that doesn’t mean they’re all good buys. The stocks on this list carry risks, but all have great strengths related to performance quality and potential for profit. Although the wind is still blowing, the opportunity is significant, as insiders have no other reason to buy. The only questions are how long it will take for earnings to improve and how high stock prices can rise. In all cases, the catalysts are close, and the peak power starts in the double-digit range.
Insiders Bet Big on EW Scripps Rebound Potential
Insiders are making significant moves in EW Scripps (NASDAQ: SSP ) stock, suggesting they know something the market doesn’t, or at least doesn’t. InsiderTrades data shows executives, including the CEO, director, and many family-related owners, stepped in to buy shares in March. This is important not only for the volume of the purchase but also for the time. Insiders haven’t sold or bought shares in years, and now, suddenly, they are.
Among the drivers is the company’s reliance on efficiency. The team integrates AI to drive efficiency and growth. It is also working to reduce costs and expand its network, focusing on sports and local broadcasting. However, expectations are not strong. Not only is there a hot analyst coverage, but it also predicts a 2027 financial cut, and may be overestimating the business. Traditional TV is facing challenges in 2026, and this company in particular is among the biggest risks while carrying huge debts.
Analyst trends are mixed, with consensus indicated at Reduce and 80% strength. The institutional trends are a bit mixed, as they own about 80% of the stock and have accumulated it over the past few quarters. Their work is accompanied by technical action that indicates a market decline. A low is seen with zoom action in 2024 and 2025 and a move above the major moving averages (EMAs) in 2026.
Financial Bankshares Insiders Buy, Buy, Buy
First Financial Bankshares’ (NASDAQ: FFIN ) internal activity is characterized by steady, quarterly purchases for the next five quarters and no sales. Activity was mixed sequentially in 2025 but peaked in early 2026, driven by directors and the CFO. They bought more than $650,000 worth of shares, bringing total ownership over 3.8%.
Among the reasons are the company’s profits, which yielded about 2.5% as of mid-March and are reliably safe at less than 50% of earnings, share buybacks, and growing business. Book value, the average value of shareholders, improved by more than 17.5% in fiscal 2025 and is expected to continue growing strongly in 2026. Imports are huge but have failed to eliminate pollution by 2025.
Analyst coverage is light, with only three tracks, but they are optimistic and rate the stock as a consensus hold. They are predicting about a 30% increase from the early March lows and are showing the strength of the higher prices in the trends. The institution’s operations are very strong, as it owns about 70% of the stock and is accumulating on a trailing twelve month basis. A key detail is that the facility’s operations increased in Q1 2026, increasing after a strong cash flow report confirmed the company’s long-term ability to return capital.
Crane Company Insiders Think It Can Fly High
Crane Company (NYSE: CR ) insiders bought shares early in Q1 after it reported a strong quarter, raised guidance, and increased its dividend by 10%. The yield is below average but minus the safety. The payout ratio is only 15%, allowing acquisitions to increase growth and value. The company is predicted to grow at a mid-single digit pace over the next few years while expanding its margin. Margin is forecast to grow at a low double-digit pace.
Analysts are very bullish on this stock. The number of analysts covering it may be large, but the eight-track consensus stock is Buy and we see it advancing 30%. Institutions are also strong, owning 75% of industrial companies, and buying strongly in Q1. The balance of activity in Q1 is over $3.50 bought for every $1 sold, providing a solid base of support that limits downside risk for investors.
Companies in this article:
| Company | Current Price | Price Changes | Dividend Yield | The P/E ratio | Consensus ratio | Consensus Price Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EW Scripts (SSP) | $3.40 | -6.2% | 5.89% | -1.82 | Reduce | $6.95 |
| First Financial Shares (FFIN) | $29.08 | -0.9% | 2.61% | 16.43 | Hold on | $38.00 |
| Crane (CR) | $177.71 | +0.7% | 0.57% | 23.54 | Buy it | $224.00 |
Experience
Thomas Hughes has been a contributing writer for InsiderTrades.com since 2019.
- Professional Background: Thomas Hughes is the Managing Partner of Passive Market Intelligence LLC, a market research platform he founded in 2023 with the motto: “We watch the market so you don’t.” He has worked as a blogger, stock market analyst, and independent analyst since 2010 and has been involved in trading and investing since 2005.
- Confirmation: He has an Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology-training that has enhanced his discipline, attention to detail, and ability to anticipate results, all of which continue in his work as a market analyst.
- Financial Experience: Thomas has been writing about finance and investing since 2011, when he discovered it could be more than a personal passion—it could be a career. He has been a contributing writer for InsiderTrades.com since 2019.
- Writing Focus: He specializes in the S&P 500, small-cap stocks, high-yield diversification strategies, consumer staples, retail, technology, oil, and equities. His analysis combines chart-based technical setups with key fundamentals, helping readers identify potential trends.
- How to Invest: Thomas takes a hybrid approach that combines technical analysis with in-depth fundamental research. He often writes about macroeconomic shifts, wage trends, and sentiment-based trading signals.
- Motivation: Thomas became interested in stocks after attending a seminar on buying and selling your own stocks. That experience opened his eyes to the power of the market and sparked a lifelong interest in investing.
- Fun fact: Thomas picked up a model railroad by accident a few years ago—and now he can’t stop using the railroad.
- Areas of Expertise: Technical and fundamental analysis, S&P 500, retail and consumer sectors, equities, market trends
Education
Associate of Arts in Culinary Technology
