CEO Shavel Lee Buys Nearly 29,000 Shares at $218 – A Calm Confidence Signal Ahead of Verisk’s Earnings Release

Insider Activity at Verisk Analytics: What the Latest Deal Tells Investors

The January 14, 2026 filing shows CEO Shavel Lee purchasing 28,893 shares of Verisk common stock, bringing his holdings to 105,600 shares—just 0.035 % of the company’s shares outstanding. The transaction was executed at the market price of $218.04, with no cash paid; the shares were issued as part of the settlement of performance‑stock units that vested on January 15, 2023. Lee’s move is typical of a CEO who is gradually liquidating a portion of a performance‑based award while retaining a sizable long‑term stake. Because the shares were granted under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, the transaction is effectively a “tax‑deferral” purchase rather than an opportunistic sale, suggesting confidence that the company’s fundamentals will support the share price in the near term.

Implications for Investors

Verisk’s stock is trading near the upper end of its 52‑week range, yet the company has posted a year‑long decline of 23.62 %. The CEO’s recent activity is not a red flag; rather, it underscores a strategy of gradual wealth accumulation that aligns with the company’s earnings guidance for the fiscal fourth quarter. The fact that the transaction is a tax‑settlement purchase and not a market‑price sale reduces concerns about insider pressure to sell. However, the volume of shares traded by the CEO in the past year—four large sales between May and August 2025—raises questions about liquidity needs or portfolio rebalancing. For investors, the key takeaway is that the CEO remains invested in Verisk, but the timing and size of the recent purchase are modest enough not to signal a short‑term bearish outlook.

Shavel Lee: A Profile Based on Historical Transactions

Lee’s transaction history reveals a pattern of disciplined, periodic selling of 1,100‑share blocks, typically following a performance‑stock vesting event. The average sale price has hovered between $268 and $307 over the past year, reflecting a willingness to liquidate when the company’s valuation is strong. Conversely, his purchases are linked to vesting dates and tax‑withholding exercises, indicating a structured approach to managing tax liabilities and maintaining a core equity stake. This behavior is consistent with a CEO who views the company as a long‑term growth platform but needs to rebalance his portfolio for liquidity and tax planning. The recent purchase of 28,893 shares is a sizable block relative to prior sales, suggesting confidence in Verisk’s future earnings trajectory and a desire to reinforce his ownership position ahead of the upcoming earnings release.

Company‑Wide Insider Activity: A Snapshot

Across the board, other C‑suite executives (Mann, Daffan, Beckles, Grover, Holzer) each executed five transactions within the same two‑day window. The pattern of small purchases and sales, often tied to tax‑deferral or vesting events, mirrors Lee’s behavior and indicates a broader corporate culture of disciplined, performance‑based equity management. While the volume of insider transactions is relatively low, the consistency in timing and share counts points to a coordinated approach to equity compensation rather than speculative trading.

What This Means Going Forward

Verisk is poised to announce its FY2025 results on February 18, 2026, a milestone that could validate the CEO’s confidence and potentially lift the stock. The current insider activity suggests that the leadership team is neither over‑exposed nor aggressively divesting, maintaining a balanced equity position that should support share price stability. Investors should watch the earnings release for guidance on revenue growth and profitability, as well as any updates to the incentive plan that might alter future insider activity. In the meantime, the CEO’s modest purchase signals a “buy‑and‑hold” stance, offering a subtle endorsement of Verisk’s analytics‑driven business model amid a challenging macro environment.