Century Aluminum CEO Sells $7 Million Worth of Shares Amid Plans for a New Aluminum Plant
Key Points
Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary sold 150,000 shares for over $7 million on Jan. 23, 2026.
The sales came nearly two weeks after he transferred about 315,000 shares from his direct holdings to a trust.
Century Aluminum announced a few days later that it had a stake in a project to build the first U.S. aluminum smelting plant in nearly 50 years.
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Jesse Gary, President and CEO of Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ:CENX), sold 150,000 shares on Jan. 23, 2026, for approximately $7.2 million, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Shares sold (indirect) | 150,000 |
| Transaction value | ~$7.2 million |
| Post-transaction shares (direct) | 277,227 |
| Post-transaction shares (indirect) | 292,580 |
| Post-transaction value (direct ownership) | ~$13.5 million |
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($48.19); post-transaction value based on Jan. 23, 2026 market close price.
Key questions
- How significant was this sale in relation to Jesse Gary's historic trading activity?
This 150,000-share sale is larger than Gary’s prior sell transactions, with the recent period median at 114,621 shares, and represents 20.84% of his total holdings at the time—a higher proportion than the prior median sell of 15.38% of holdings. - How does the transaction value compare to the company's trading levels and recent performance?
The shares were sold at a weighted average price of $48.19, near the Jan. 23, 2026 close of $48.71, with Century Aluminum Company's stock up 186.35% year-over-year as of the transaction date, suggesting the sale occurred at historically elevated price levels.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue (TTM) | $2.53 billion |
| Net income (TTM) | $80.80 million |
| Employees | 2,971 |
| *1-year price change | 149.34% |
* 1-year price change calculated using Jan. 23, 2026 as the reference date.
Company snapshot
Century Aluminum Company is a leading producer of various metals, including standard-grade and value-added primary aluminum products. It operates in the United States and Iceland, and has a carbon anode facility in the Netherlands, as well as a bauxite mining and alumina refining business in Jamaica.
What this transaction means for investors
It should be noted that in the filing, there’s mention of 314,611 direct shares disposed of nearly two weeks before the indirect sale of 150,000 shares. However, it wasn’t a sale but rather a transfer of shares from his direct holdings to his trust for estate-planning purposes.
On Jan. 26, Century Aluminum announced a landmark partnership with Emirates Global Aluminum, another global aluminum producer, to create the first aluminum smoldering plant in the U.S. in 47 years. With about 85% of the country’s aluminum imported, the plant will be important, and it’s estimated to add 1,000 jobs to the market.
There’s been a significant push by the latest U.S. administration to increase domestic aluminum production, as tariffs have made aluminum more costly. With a 40% stake in the smoldering plant construction, Century Aluminum will benefit greatly from the project, already coming off a red-hot year in share price gains. The company’s stock soared approximately 150% in 2025, and it comes as no surprise, as aluminum is one of the most in-demand metals in the world, let alone in the U.S., as it’s used for a plethora of consumer goods and industrial products.
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Adé Hennis has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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