We’ve lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell Southside Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBSI), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Buying?
Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that ‘insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year’.
View our latest analysis for Southside Bancshares
Southside Bancshares Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The Independent Director Melvin Lovelady made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$53k worth of shares at a price of US$26.47 each. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$28.59 per share to be enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it’s a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. In this case we’re pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 6.93k shares worth US$194k. But insiders sold 163.00 shares worth US$4.7k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Southside Bancshares insiders. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Are Southside Bancshares Insiders Buying Or Selling?
We saw insider selling worth US$4.7k in the last three months. That’s only a tiny bit more than the purchases, worth US$4.4k. The net selling is so small that it’s hard to draw any conclusions from these recent transactions.
Does Southside Bancshares Boast High Insider Ownership?
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Southside Bancshares insiders own about US$53m worth of shares. That equates to 5.7% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it’s enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Southside Bancshares Insiders?
Insider selling has just outweighed insider buying in the last three months. But the difference is small, and thus, not concerning. 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 Southside Bancshares insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it’s also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To assist with this, we’ve discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Southside Bancshares.
Of course Southside Bancshares may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.
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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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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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