Okta insiders may be ready to sell

Article Excerpt

OKTA INC. $69 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol OKTA; Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 160.2 million; Market cap: $11.1 billion; No dividend paid; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.okta.com) is a cybersecurity firm that provides companies with workforce identity and customer identity solutions. Okta first sold shares to the public and began trading on Nasdaq in April 2017 at $17 a share. In May 2021, it completed the acquisition of Seattle-based Auth0 for $6.5 billion. Auth0 helps businesses manage customers online. It offers a platform aimed at letting them authenticate those using their services, including both consumers and other companies. Okta’s shares are down lately, along with the market—and in particular, stocks with a technology/software platform focus. In a recent filing, the company indicated that activist investors could be a risk factor, despite its dual-voting share structure. Still, its shares moved up recently on speculation that the recent sale of an Okta competitor could prompt Okta insiders to look for a buyer. Okta is a hold,…