Trade Alert: Mark Micklem At Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR), Has Just Spent US$125k Buying Shares

Investors who take an interest in Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) should definitely note that insider Mark Micklem recently paid US$31.23 per share to buy US$125k worth of the stock. That certainly has us anticipating the best, especially since they thusly increased their own holding by 67%, potentially signalling some real optimism.

See our latest analysis for Sandy Spring Bancorp

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Sandy Spring Bancorp

In fact, the recent purchase by Mark Micklem was the biggest purchase of Sandy Spring Bancorp shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$32.83. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. The good news for Sandy Spring Bancorp share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

In the last twelve months Sandy Spring Bancorp insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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!

Sandy Spring Bancorp 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

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Sandy Spring Bancorp insiders own 3.0% of the company, worth about US$34m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Sandy Spring Bancorp Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Sandy Spring Bancorp we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.