Back in 2012, Snap-on's top executive Nicholas T. Pinchuk made headlines when he offloaded nearly 25,000 shares in a single transaction. The CEO and chairman sold 24,825 shares at $66 per share, totaling about $1.64 million. At the time, this kind of insider move caught investors' attention, especially given Pinchuk's track record leading the company since late 2007.

What's interesting about Pinchuk's net worth position is that despite the stock sale, he maintained substantial holdings in Snap-on. The guy had been instrumental in growing the company—a toolmaker and productivity solutions provider with a $3.93 billion market cap back then. His background was solid too: prior stints at United Technologies and Ford gave him serious operational chops before taking the helm at Snap-on.

That summer wasn't just about Pinchuk though. Other company insiders were also trimming positions—the CFO sold shares in February, and several VPs and directors made moves throughout the spring and early summer. Meanwhile, the company's Q2 2012 results showed revenues hitting $737.9 million, up 1.5% year-over-year, with net income at $76.4 million. So the fundamentals looked decent even as some executives were taking chips off the table.