Did Digirad Corporation (NASDAQ:DRAD) Insiders Buy Up More Shares?

Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Digirad Corporation (NASDAQ:DRAD).

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, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

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'.

Check out our latest analysis for Digirad

Digirad Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Chairman Jeffrey Eberwein for US$179k worth of shares, at about US$7.00 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$5.47. 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.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 69142.5 shares worth US$511k. Digirad may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Digirad Insiders Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Digirad insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Overall, three insiders shelled out US$313k for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Insider Ownership of Digirad

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. From our data, it seems that Digirad insiders own 9.9% of the company, worth about US$1.1m. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!

So What Do The Digirad Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on Digirad stock. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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. Thank you for reading.