We recently published a list of 20 Mid-Cap Stocks Insiders Were Buying in Q1 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH) stands against other mid-cap stocks insiders were buying in Q1 2025.

Stock markets tumbled on Wednesday, with technology shares leading the slide amid growing concerns over ever-changing tariffs. The broader market index dropped 2.2%, the blue-chip companies fell by almost 700 points, a decline of 1.7%, and the Nasdaq Composite —dominated by tech—plunged nearly 3.1%. With this decline, the Nasdaq is now about 19% below its recent peak, edging closer to bear market territory.

Stocks dropped to their lowest levels of the day Wednesday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that the tariffs could increase short-term inflation. He noted the Federal Reserve might face a tough situation where its goals of full employment and stable prices may come into conflict, according to CNBC.

During periods of market and economic uncertainty, insider trading often draws increased interest. Executive stock purchases can suggest confidence in the company’s outlook, while sales may simply reflect personal financial needs or efforts to diversify investments. Many executives use pre-established trading plans, such as 10b5-1 programs, which are designed to remove timing decisions from the equation. To get a clearer picture, insider activity should be evaluated alongside the company’s overall financial health and broader market conditions.

Our Methodology

Today, we’re focusing on stocks that have seen heavy insider buying activity in the first quarter of the year. Using Insider Monkey’s insider trading screener, we identified companies with market caps between $2 billion and $10 billion, where at least two insiders purchased shares in the past three months. From this list, we ranked the top 20 stocks with the highest value of insider purchases. Most of the stocks that have been recently covered were excluded from our analysis.

Our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds, focusing on insider trading and stock picks from hedge fund investor newsletters and conferences. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

For each stock, we note the number of insiders who acquired shares in the first quarter and the market capitalizations.

A close up of hands counting a vast stack of money in a bank vault.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE:ASH)

Market Cap: $2.34 billion

Ashland, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, is a specialty materials company that operates through four segments: Life Sciences, Personal Care, Specialty Additives, and Intermediates. It provides ingredients and solutions for pharmaceuticals, personal care, coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, and other industrial markets. Ashland is also one of the 11 most expensive stocks insiders are buying recently.

On January 31, two company insiders, one of whom was CEO Guillermo Novo, purchased Ashland stock totaling $2.21 million at an average price of $64.12 per share. The CEO accounted for the bulk of the purchase, acquiring 31,294 shares valued at approximately $2.01 million. This was Novo’s first purchase in nearly five years. Year-to-date, the stock is down 30.66%, trading at $49.55 per share. Over the past 12 months, the stock has dropped 47.23%.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, Ashland reported $405 million in sales, a 14% decrease from the same quarter in 2023. The company posted a net loss of $165 million, a sharp decline from the $26 million profit reported a year earlier. During the quarter, Ashland also entered into a definitive agreement to divest its Avoca business.

Six analysts rate Ashland stock as a “Moderate Buy” with a price target of $73.20 per share, suggesting an upside of 47.91% from the latest price.

Overall, ASH ranks 7th on our list of mid-cap stocks insiders were buying in Q1 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of ASH, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ASH but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.