Group CEO & Executive Director Of QBE Insurance Group Sold 35% Of Their Shares

Some QBE Insurance Group Limited (ASX:QBE) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Group CEO & Executive Director, Andrew Horton, recently sold a substantial AU$1.9m worth of stock at a price of AU$17.06 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 35%, which is notable but not too bad.

Check out our latest analysis for QBE Insurance Group

QBE Insurance Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Andrew Horton is the biggest insider sale of QBE Insurance Group shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was slightly below the current price of AU$17.20, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. We note that the biggest single sale was only 35%of Andrew Horton's holding.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid AU$223k for 13.37k shares. But insiders sold 109.24k shares worth AU$1.9m. In total, QBE Insurance Group insiders sold more than they bought 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 want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Insider Ownership Of QBE Insurance Group

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 0.08% of QBE Insurance Group shares, worth about AU$21m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About QBE Insurance Group Insiders?

The stark truth for QBE Insurance Group is that there has been more insider selling than insider buying in the last three months. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. But since QBE Insurance Group is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing QBE Insurance Group. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with QBE Insurance Group and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.