Are Insiders Buying Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RB.) Stock?

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RB.), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.

See our latest analysis for Reckitt Benckiser Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Reckitt Benckiser Group

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chief Operating Officer of Health Aditya Sehgal for UK£291k worth of shares, at about UK£58.38 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK£64.92. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. The good news for Reckitt Benckiser Group share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

While Reckitt Benckiser Group insiders bought shares last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership of Reckitt Benckiser Group

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 0.09% of Reckitt Benckiser Group shares, worth about UK£40m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Reckitt Benckiser Group Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Reckitt Benckiser Group shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Reckitt Benckiser Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Reckitt Benckiser Group, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

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