Sempra Energy's 431st-Ranked $230M Volume Surge Amid Insider Sales and Institutional Buys

On August 19, 2025, Sempra Energy (SRE) recorded a trading volume of $0.23 billion, a 33.98% increase from the previous day, ranking it 431st in market activity. The stock rose 2.05% during the session.

A key development involved insider transactions. Caroline Ann Winn, SRE’s Executive Vice President, sold 5,114 shares at $82.01 per share, reducing her ownership by 11.49%. This sale was disclosed in an SEC filing, though its immediate impact on investor sentiment remains unclear. Separately, SVP Alexander Lisa Larroque sold 1,576 shares at $80.00, further trimming her stake by 9.18%.

Institutional ownership dynamics also influenced the stock. Vanguard Group and Wellington Management Group increased their holdings, with the latter adding 26.8% to its position in Q1 2025. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its stake by 83.6%, acquiring 603,702 shares valued at $42.3 million. These moves highlight sustained institutional confidence in the utility sector, despite broader market volatility.

Analyst coverage provided mixed signals. Citigroup and Barclays maintained “neutral” and “equal weight” ratings, respectively, while Morgan Stanley and BMO Capital Markets expressed optimism with “overweight” and “outperform” designations. The consensus target price of $81.58 reflects cautious optimism, though earnings growth projections remain tempered by a 0.4% year-over-year revenue decline in Q2.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a 0.98% average 1-day return. Over 365 days, the total return reached 31.52%, capturing short-term momentum but also exposing vulnerabilities to market timing and volatility.