Universal Display Director Buys 342 Shares

April Walker, Director at Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ:OLED), acquired 342 shares valued at $53,926.56 through a grant or award, as reported in a Form 4 filed on July 2, 2025.

Transaction summary

Key questions

How does this transaction compare to April Walker's historical trading activity?
The trade size of 342 shares matches both the median and 75th percentile for April Walker, consistent with prior activity (median and 75th percentile trade size: 342 shares; trading frequency: 5.7 trades per year; most recent trade: 91 days ago).

What is the significance of the current stock price relative to key technical levels?
The transaction price of $157.68 is 4.94% above the 50-day moving average and 0.29% above the 200-day moving average, as of July 10, 2025.

How meaningful is the Director's ownership on an absolute basis?
Following the transaction reported on July 2, 2025, April Walker holds 684 shares, representing approximately 0.0014% of shares outstanding—a nominal ownership stake for a director.

What is the context of this transaction within the broader performance trend?
Year-to-date performance stands at (28.12%) as of July 10, 2025 (calendar year-to-date, based on the latest available closing price), reflecting significant underperformance, though insider equity awards have continued on a regular schedule.

Company overview

Company snapshot

Universal Display develops and commercializes proprietary organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials and technologies, supplying UniversalPHOLED materials to display and lighting manufacturers. The company generates revenue primarily through material sales, technology licensing, and contract research services related to OLED and advanced materials. It serves display and solid-state lighting manufacturers, with a focus on global electronics and display panel producers.

Universal Display Corporation is a leading innovator in OLED technology, leveraging a robust intellectual property portfolio with approximately 5,500 issued and pending patents worldwide. The company’s strategy centers on providing high-performance OLED materials and licensing its proprietary technologies to major display and lighting manufacturers. Its competitive edge lies in its deep R&D capabilities.

Foolish take

All of Universal Display's directors receive 342 shares per quarter, as part of their compensation packages. This was April Walker's second batch of share-based payments since joining the company's board of directors on January 1, 2025.

Walker's appointment filled an empty seat that was created when Universal Display expanded its board from 10 to 11 members. With more than three decades of executive experience in large-cap companies such as Microsoft and Salesforce, Walker brings a wealth of expertise in areas like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).

The stock awards are likely to build Walker's Universal Display exposure over time. Most of the company's directors seem content to amass their stock holdings slowly, currently at 342 shares per quarter, rarely selling any stock or making additional purchases.

As such, this transaction is simply an early instance of a long-term relationship. Investors could draw more substantial conclusions from the larger and more frequent trades performed by Universal Display executives, such as Chief Legal Officer Mauro Premutico and CEO Steven Abramson, but even there, most of the transactions are of the pre-planned variety.

In other words, insider transactions should neither worry nor inspire Universal Display investors at the moment. It's just business as usual.

Glossary

Form 4:A required SEC filing disclosing insider trades by company officers, directors, or major shareholders.
Insider trading: The buying or selling of a company’s stock by individuals with access to non-public, material information.
Grant or award: Shares or options given to employees or directors, often as part of compensation or incentive plans.
50-day moving average (MA50): The average closing price of a stock over the past 50 trading days, used to identify trends.
200-day moving average: The average closing price over the past 200 trading days, often used to assess long-term trends.
Ownership stake: The percentage of a company’s total shares held by an individual or entity.
Trailing-twelve-month (TTM): A financial metric calculated over the most recent 12 consecutive months.
Dividend yield: Annual dividend payments divided by the stock price, showing the income return on investment.
Intellectual property portfolio: A collection of patents, trademarks, and copyrights owned by a company, providing competitive advantages.
Technology licensing: Granting other companies the right to use proprietary technology in exchange for fees or royalties.
Material sales: Revenue generated from selling physical products or substances, such as specialized materials for manufacturing.
Contract research services: Research and development work performed for clients under formal agreements, often for a fee.

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Anders Bylund has positions in Universal Display. The Motley Fool recommends Universal Display. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.