Arista Networks Surges Into 66th in Trading Volume Amid Institutional Bet and Insider Selloff

Arista Networks (ANET) rose 0.23% on August 29, 2025, with a trading volume of $1.08 billion, ranking 66th in market activity. Institutional investors increased their stakes in the stock, with Beck Bode LLC raising its position by 15.8% to $14.7 million, marking ANET as its 18th-largest holding. Brighton Jones LLC and Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG also significantly boosted their holdings by 321.7% and 433.7%, respectively, during the fourth quarter. These moves highlight growing institutional confidence in Arista’s long-term prospects.

Insider activity, however, showed mixed signals. Director Charles Giancarlo sold 8,000 shares, reducing his ownership by 12.16%, while CEO Jayshree Ullal offloaded 24,040 shares, a 70.80% cut in her position. Despite these sales, corporate insiders still hold 3.39% of the stock. The company announced a $1.5 billion share repurchase program, signaling board confidence in its valuation and potentially supporting share price stability.

Analysts have revised their price targets upward, with Needham & Company, Goldman Sachs, and KeyCorp raising their targets to $155.00, $155.00, and $145.00, respectively. The stock now carries a "Moderate Buy" rating, averaging $138.07. These upgrades follow Arista’s Q2 earnings beat and 30.4% revenue growth, reinforcing its role as a key player in AI-driven networking infrastructure.

Backtesting results indicate that the stock’s recent performance aligns with its historical volatility and institutional buying trends, though insider selling could introduce short-term uncertainty. The $1.5 billion buyback program and analyst optimism remain critical factors for future price direction.