Should You Be Worried About Insider Transactions At World Houseware (Holdings) Limited (HKG:713)?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 World Houseware (Holdings) Limited (HKG:713).

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, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. 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 World Houseware (Holdings)

World Houseware (Holdings) Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

There wasn't any very large single transaction over the last year, but we can still observe some trading.

Pak Tung Lee divested 900000 shares over the last 12 months at an average price of HK$0.45. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like World Houseware (Holdings) better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does World Houseware (Holdings) Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. World Houseware (Holdings) insiders own about HK$124m worth of shares (which is 55% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About World Houseware (Holdings) Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded World Houseware (Holdings) shares in the last quarter. It's heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we'd like to see more insider buying, since the last year of World Houseware (Holdings) insider transactions don't fill us with confidence. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example - World Houseware (Holdings) has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

But note: World Houseware (Holdings) may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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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