Is FMC Stock a Buy After a Member of the Board of Directors Scooped Up 7,000 Shares?

On November 13, 2025, John Mitchell Raines, a member of the Board of Directors at FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC), acquired 7,000 shares in an open-market buy, as disclosed in this SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summary

Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 reported price ($13.77); post-transaction value based on Nov. 13, 2025 market close ($13.77).

Key questions

• How significant was this acquisition relative to the insider's prior holdings?
  This purchase more than doubled Raines John Mitchell's direct stake, with post-transaction holdings rising from 6,784 to 13,784 shares, representing a 103.18% increase in direct ownership.
• How does the timing of the purchase relate to FMC Corporation's stock performance?
  The transaction occurred after a sharp one-year decline, with shares priced at $13.64 at the November 13, 2025 market close, down 74.1% over the prior twelve months.
• What portion of total company equity does the insider now directly own?
  Following this transaction, Mr. Raines holds 0.0110% of FMC Corporation’s outstanding shares in direct ownership.
• Does the insider have a pattern of frequent open-market transactions?
  This is the first open-market buy for Mr. Raines, whose previous filings since July 2024 were administrative in nature and did not involve market purchases or sales.

Company overview

* 1-year performance is calculated using November 13th, 2025 as the reference date.

Company snapshot

• FMC Corporation offers a portfolio of crop protection chemicals, including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, as well as biologicals, crop nutrition, and seed treatment products.
• The company generates revenue primarily through the development, marketing, and sale of agricultural inputs designed to enhance crop yield and quality by controlling pests, weeds, and diseases.
• FMC Corporation serves global agricultural producers, distributors, and professional pest and turf management markets across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia.

FMC Corporation is an agricultural sciences company, specializing in crop protection and plant health solutions.

The company leverages a broad product portfolio and international distribution network to address the needs of large-scale agriculture and professional markets.

Foolish take

The significant purchase of by John Mitchell Raines to more than double his stake in FMC Corporation suggests he believes shares can appreciate in value. After all, the stock reached a 52-week low of $12.66 on Nov. 18, just days after his buy.

There are reasons why FMC shares dropped so much from their 52-week high of $61.26 achieved last November. For starters, revenue was down a whopping 49% year over year in the third quarter to $542 million. The drop was due primarily to the sale of the company's business in India.

However, excluding the impact of the sale, revenue was still down 4% year over year as competition put pricing pressures on FMC. On top of this, the company went from net income of $66 million in Q3 of 2024 to a substantial net loss of $569 million this year.

That's not all. Free cash flow (FCF) also plunged from $132 million in Q3 of 2024 to negative FCF of $233 million in 2025. FCF represents the cash available to pay dividends, and with the dramatic drop, FMC cut its dividend payments.

All of these factors add up to a company in the midst of a challenging time in its history. Perhaps FMC can bounce back, but given where it's at today, the prudent approach is to wait for signs that the company is making a recovery in subsequent quarters before deciding to buy.

Glossary

Insider: A company executive, director, or major shareholder with access to non-public company information.
Open-market buy: Purchase of company stock by an insider through public exchanges, not via private or pre-arranged transactions.
SEC Form 4: A regulatory filing disclosing changes in ownership of a company's securities by insiders.
Direct ownership: Shares personally held by an insider, not through trusts or indirect means.
Outstanding shares: Total shares of a company currently held by all shareholders, including insiders and the public.
Administrative transaction: Insider transaction not involving buying or selling in the open market, such as grants or transfers.
Crop protection chemicals: Products like insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides used to protect crops from pests, weeds, and diseases.
Biologicals: Agricultural products derived from natural sources used to enhance plant health or control pests.
Seed treatment: Application of chemical or biological agents to seeds before planting to protect against pests or diseases.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Robert Izquierdo 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.