Have Insiders Been Buying Abacus Property Group (ASX:ABP) Shares This Year?

It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell Abacus Property Group (ASX:ABP), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Selling?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

See our latest analysis for Abacus Property Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Abacus Property Group

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when MD & Director Steven Sewell bought AU$129k worth of shares at a price of AU$2.80 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of AU$3.16. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Abacus Property Group insiders were buying shares, but not selling. Their average price was about AU$3.17. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insiders at Abacus Property Group Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Abacus Property Group insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Specifically, MD & Director Steven Sewell bought AU$129k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Abacus Property Group Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From looking at our data, insiders own AU$2.5m worth of Abacus Property Group stock, about 0.1% of the company. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. We consider this fairly low insider ownership.

So What Do The Abacus Property Group Insider Transactions Indicate?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on Abacus Property Group stock. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that Abacus Property Group has 5 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore these.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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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