Insider Trades: The 4 ASX 200 directors that bought shares last week
Insider trading activity noticeably slowed last week, with directors appearing hesitant to buy into recent market strength.
Source: Shutterstock
Mentioned
Welcome back to the Insider Trades Series – a weekly summary of on-market ASX 200 director transactions valued at more than $10,000. The trades have all taken place between 11 and 16 April 2025. Directors have up to 5 business days to notify the ASX of their trades.
Last week’s trading data (covering April 7–10) showed a significant increase in transactions, with notable director purchases in Eagers Automotive, Charter Hall, BHP and Chorus. This week, however, transaction activity has noticeably slowed, with directors appearing hesitant to capitalise on the market’s recent bounce.
The S&P/ASX 200 gained 2.2% last week, to close at its highest level since April 4, yet this reluctance likely stems from ongoing uncertainty surrounding Trump’s tariff policies, particularly the absence of new trade agreements and escalating US-China trade tensions. This uncertainty is also evident in the current US earnings season for the March quarter. Of the 24% of S&P 500 companies have reported results, only eight provided earnings guidance, none of which exceeded consensus expectations.
Top ASX 200 Insider Trades
Code | Company | Date | Director | Type | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neuren Pharmaceuticals | 16/04/25 | Buy | $10.56 | $153,158 | ||
BHP Group | 11/04/25 | Buy | $35.15 | $50,967 | ||
BHP Group | 11/04/25 | Buy | $34.94 | $42,731 | ||
GQG Partners Inc | 11/04/25 | Buy | $1.97 | $40,000 | ||
Viva Energy Group | 15/04/25 | Buy | $1.58 | $15,775 |
Key takeaways
Neuren's Non-Executive Director Joseph Basile boosted his stake by 67%, acquiring 14,500 additional shares to bring his total ownership to 35,906 shares. However, all his recent on-market purchases — made in September 2023 (at $11.99 a piece), June 2024 ($19.49), and August 2024 ($15.73) — are currently underwater, reflecting the stock's recent downward spiral.
Non-Executive Directors from BHP picked up two parcels, adding approximately 10-15% to their outstanding positions. Amid market turbulence, BHP’s stock has remained relatively resilient, down 4.3% month-to-date and 7.5% year-to-date. This stability likely stems from firm iron ore and copper prices, which have held up amid favourable tariff threats, supply disruptions and optimism around Chinese stimulus measures.
Rajiv Jain, GQG Partners’ Chief Investment Officer and majority shareholder (holding ~70% of the company), has been actively accumulating shares, executing 28 on-market purchases so far this year. He's purchased a collective ~3.0 million shares, worth $6.46 million, at prices between $1.90 and $2.20.
Interestingly, GQG’s stock plummeted 19.3% on November 21, 2024, following allegations of a $265 million bribery scheme involving Adani Group founder Gautam Adani and seven associates, linked to Indian solar contracts. GQG’s significant stake in Adani Group sparked investor fears that legal repercussions could disrupt Adani’s operations, threatening GQG’s portfolio stability. Despite this setback, GQG reported a stellar FY24 performance in February, with average funds under management surging 45.4% to $153 billion and earnings per share soaring 51.7% to 14.7 cents, underscoring its underlying strength.
