We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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 shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Lifetime Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:LCUT).
What Is Insider Buying?
It’s quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. 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.
See our latest analysis for Lifetime Brands
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Lifetime Brands
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the insider, Michael Jeary, for US$91k worth of shares, at about US$6.20 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$5.36. We generally don’t like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern. Michael Jeary was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
Michael Jeary divested 19922 shares over the last 12 months at an average price of US$6.21. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
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Insider Ownership of Lifetime Brands
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 14% of Lifetime Brands shares, worth about US$15m. 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 Lifetime Brands Insiders?
The fact that there have been no Lifetime Brands insider transactions recently certainly doesn’t bother us. Our analysis of Lifetime Brands insider transactions leaves us cautious. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. So while it’s helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it’s also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we’ve found that Lifetime Brands has 4 warning signs (1 shouldn’t be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.
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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.
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