How Much Are New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX:NHC) Insiders Spending On Buying Shares?

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 we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in New Hope Corporation Limited (ASX:NHC).

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 would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. 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.'

View our latest analysis for New Hope

New Hope Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Non-Executive Chairman Robert Millner bought AU$794k worth of shares at a price of AU$3.61 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher, an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. It's not at all bad to see insiders buy shares at or above current prices.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders bought 435.00k shares for a total of AU$1.6m. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by New Hope insiders. They paid about AU$3.61 on average. This is nice to see since it implies that insiders might see value around current prices (around AU$2.94). You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

New Hope is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this freelist of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

New Hope Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, New Hope insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Overall, 3 insiders shelled out AU$1.6m for shares in the company -- and none sold. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence.

Insider Ownership of New Hope

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. New Hope insiders own about AU$28m worth of shares. That equates to 1.1% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About New Hope Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Insiders likely see value in New Hope shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this freereport showing analyst forecasts for its future.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this freelist of interesting companies.

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.

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. Thank you for reading.