Independent Non-Executive Director Maurice Craven Just Bought 32% More Shares In Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX:HVN)

Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Maurice Craven, the Independent Non-Executive Director of Harvey Norman Holdings Limited (ASX:HVN) recently shelled out AU$50k to buy stock, at AU$5.12 per share. While we're hesitant to get too excited about a purchase of that size, we do note it increased their holding by a solid 32%.

See our latest analysis for Harvey Norman Holdings

Harvey Norman Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Co-Founder Gerald Harvey for AU$2.0m worth of shares, at about AU$4.94 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is AU$4.96. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. Happily, the Harvey Norman Holdings insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Harvey Norman Holdings insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

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. Harvey Norman Holdings insiders own about AU$2.5b worth of shares (which is 41% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Harvey Norman Holdings Insiders?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Harvey Norman Holdings. Looks promising! 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 instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Harvey Norman Holdings (1 shouldn't be ignored) you should be aware of.

But note: Harvey Norman Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. 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.