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 Giga Metals Corporation (CVE:GIGA).
What Is Insider Selling?
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, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.
We don’t think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. 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.
View our latest analysis for Giga Metals
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Giga Metals
insider Brian Usher-Jones made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$250k worth of shares at a price of CA$0.10 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of CA$0.33. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn’t tell us much about what they think of current prices.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 5.17m shares worth CA$562k. But they sold 2024700 for CA$521k. In total, Giga Metals insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
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).
Insiders at Giga Metals Have Sold Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we’ve seen a bit of insider selling at Giga Metals. Insiders divested only CA$34k worth of shares in that time. Neither the lack of buying nor the presence of selling is heartening. But the volume sold is so low that it really doesn’t bother us.
Does Giga Metals Boast High Insider Ownership?
Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 22% of Giga Metals shares, worth about CA$3.9m. 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 Giga Metals Insiders?
We did not see any insider buying in the last three months, but we did see selling. However, the sales are not big enough to concern us at all. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Giga Metals and their transactions don’t cause us concern. Along with insider transactions, I recommend checking if Giga Metals is growing revenue. This free chart of historic revenue and earnings should make that easy.
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 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.
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. Thank you for reading.