It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Jupiter Energy Limited (ASX:JPR), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. 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'.
See our latest analysis for Jupiter Energy
Jupiter Energy Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The CEO & Executive Chairman, Geoffrey Gander, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$152k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.20 each. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of AU$0.048. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. Geoffrey Gander was the only individual insider to sell over the last year.
You can see the insider transactions (by companies and 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!
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Insider Ownership of Jupiter Energy
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data suggests Jupiter Energy insiders own 4.7% of the company, worth about AU$352k. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Jupiter Energy Insiders?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Jupiter Energy shares in the last quarter. Our analysis of Jupiter Energy insider transactions leaves us unenthusiastic. And we're not picking up on high enough insider ownership to give us any 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. For example, Jupiter Energy has 5 warning signs (and 4 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.
Of course Jupiter Energy 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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About ASX:JPR
Jupiter Energy
Engages in the exploration, appraisal, development, and production of oil and gas properties in Kazakhstan.
Moderate with mediocre balance sheet.