Roku Shares Rally on Surging Volume and Institutional Buys Despite Insider Sales Ranking 254th in US Volume

On August 21, 2025, Roku (ROKU) closed with a 2.42% gain, trading at $87.28. The stock saw a 32.25% surge in trading volume to $340 million, ranking 254th among U.S. equities. The move followed a mix of insider activity, institutional investment shifts, and analyst updates.

Insider selling pressured the stock earlier in the week, with CFO Dan Jedda offloading 3,000 shares at $89.07, reducing his ownership by 3.94%. CEO Anthony Wood also sold 25,000 shares at $82.42, trimming his stake by over 60%. These sales raised concerns about executive confidence, though institutional investors countered by boosting holdings. Vanguard Group increased its stake by 1.4%, while Acadian Asset Management added 41.2% more shares in Q2.

Analysts remained cautiously optimistic. Six brokerages revised price targets upward, with Loop Capital upgrading from “hold” to “buy” and raising the target to $100. Citigroup and Needham also increased their estimates to $113 and $110, respectively. The stock now carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with a $98.96 average target. Recent earnings beat expectations, with Q2 revenue rising 14.7% to $1.11 billion, though net losses persisted.

Roku’s strategic moves included launching “Howdy,” a $2.99 ad-free streaming service targeting budget-conscious users. The company also expanded its buyback program, aligning with broader market trends seen in Uber’s $20 billion repurchase plan. Institutional confidence was further reinforced by hedge funds like Tableaux LLC and Jacobs Levy Equity Management, which added new or larger stakes in Q2.

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