Is Avantor Stock a Buy After the CEO Scooped Up Nearly $1 Million in Shares?

On November 17, 2025, Emmanuel Ligner, CEO and President of Avantor (AVTR), bought 87,500 shares of the company on the open market. This purchase increased his total direct holdings to 283,424 shares, as reported in a recent SEC filing.

Transaction summary

Metric	Value
Shares traded	87,500
Transaction value	$993,125
Post-transaction shares	283,424
Post-transaction value (direct ownership)	$3,083,653

The transaction was made at a price of $11.35 per share, as reported on SEC Form 4. The total value of the transaction, calculated using the closing price on the day of the trade, was $3,083,653.12.

Key questions

How did this purchase affect Emmanuel Ligner’s direct ownership stake?
This open-market buy increased Mr. Ligner’s direct holdings by 44.66%, from 195,924 to 283,424 shares, raising his direct ownership to 0.0416% of total shares outstanding as of November 17, 2025.
How does the transaction timing relate to Avantor’s recent share price performance?
The purchase occurred after a period of significant underperformance, with Avantor’s stock declining 43.42% over the previous twelve months as of the transaction date.
Was the transaction size typical relative to Mr. Ligner’s trading history?
This is the largest reported trade in the available dataset for Mr. Ligner, both in absolute share count and percentage increase in direct holdings, as prior transactions in the period did not involve open-market purchases of this scale.
What is the current value of Mr. Ligner’s direct holdings post-transaction?
Based on the closing price of $10.88 on November 17, 2025, the direct holdings were valued at approximately $3,083,653.12 immediately following the trade.

Company overview

Metric	Value
Employees	13,500
Revenue (TTM)	$6.58 billion
Net income (TTM)	($82.20 million)
1-year price change	(43.42%)

* 1-year price change calculated using November 17, 2025 as the reference date.

Company snapshot

Avantor provides a broad portfolio of high-purity materials, reagents, laboratory supplies, equipment, and specialty procurement services for biopharma, healthcare, education, government, and advanced technology sectors.
The company generates revenue primarily by supplying consumables, customized materials, and laboratory equipment, as well as offering value-added services such as onsite lab support and biopharmaceutical material development.
Key customers include biopharmaceutical manufacturers, academic and government research institutions, healthcare providers, and organizations in advanced technology and applied materials markets worldwide.

Avantor is a leading worldwide supplier of essential products and services for scientific research and manufacturing. They provide a wide range of high-quality, highly purified solutions, making them a trusted partner for companies in industries like pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Avantor’s extensive product line and global reach allow them to meet the diverse and challenging needs of customers throughout the entire life sciences process.

Foolish take

Following a recent dip in Avantor’s stock price to a 52-week low of $10.83 on October 31st, CEO Emmanuel Ligner purchased shares of the company. This purchase, along with Avantor’s new $500 million stock repurchase program, indicates confidence in the company’s future performance.

Michael Ligner became CEO in July following a decline in Avantor’s stock price. Shares had fallen from a high of $23.32 in January because the company’s financial performance hadn’t met expectations.

In the third quarter, revenue decreased by 5% compared to the previous year, reaching $1.62 billion. Additionally, Avantor reported a $785 million impairment charge, which led to a net loss of $711.8 million. This is a significant change from the $57.8 million net income reported in the third quarter of 2024.

Avantor is undergoing some changes to boost its performance, but recent financial results weren’t strong. It’s best to wait and see improvements in sales—like growth compared to last year—before considering buying stock.

Glossary

Here are definitions of key terms:

Open-market purchase: Buying stocks directly on the public market, not through private deals or company grants.

Direct ownership: Shares held in an individual’s name, rather than through trusts or funds.

SEC Form 4: A report that company executives, directors, and major shareholders must file to disclose their stock trades.

Insider trading: When someone with confidential information about a company buys or sells its stock.

Outstanding shares: The total number of shares of a company’s stock that are currently held by all investors.

TTM: The trailing twelve months – the past year, ending with the latest quarterly report.

Biopharma: The industry focused on creating and manufacturing drugs using biological materials and biotechnology.

Consumables: Products used up and regularly replaced in lab or manufacturing processes.

Value-added services: Extra offerings that improve a company’s main products, like support or custom solutions.

Trade-date close price: The final price a stock reaches when it’s traded on a specific day.

Mission-critical products: Essential goods or services that a company needs to operate or stay safe.

Life sciences value chain: All the steps involved in researching, developing, and producing products in the life sciences industry.

2025-11-22 11:21