It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in UroGen Pharma Ltd. (NASDAQ:URGN).
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, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that ‘insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers’.
View our latest analysis for UroGen Pharma
UroGen Pharma Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The President Elizabeth Barrett made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$420k worth of shares at a price of US$28.00 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$23.24 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company’s future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.
While UroGen Pharma insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn’t sell. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
UroGen Pharma is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership of UroGen Pharma
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 8.3% of UroGen Pharma shares, worth about US$43m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.
So What Does This Data Suggest About UroGen Pharma Insiders?
The fact that there have been no UroGen Pharma insider transactions recently certainly doesn’t bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don’t see anything to make us think UroGen Pharma insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it’s beneficial to identify the risks facing UroGen Pharma. For example, UroGen Pharma has 3 warning signs (and 1 which can’t be ignored) we think you should know about.
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.
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