How Much Are Héroux-Devtek Inc. (TSE:HRX) Insiders Spending On Buying Shares?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Héroux-Devtek Inc. (TSE:HRX).

What Is Insider Buying?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. 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 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'.

View our latest analysis for Héroux-Devtek

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Héroux-Devtek

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Corporate Director Beverly Wyse for CA$172k worth of shares, at about CA$19.64 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of CA$14.40. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Héroux-Devtek insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. They paid about CA$10.73 on average. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, we do note that they were buying at significantly lower prices than today's share price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Héroux-Devtek is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Héroux-Devtek Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 11% of Héroux-Devtek shares, worth about CA$60m. 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 Héroux-Devtek Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Héroux-Devtek shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Héroux-Devtek insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. 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 Héroux-Devtek (1 can't be ignored) you should be aware of.

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