Have Insiders Been Buying Maya Gold and Silver Inc. (TSE:MYA) Shares This Year?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Maya Gold and Silver Inc. (TSE:MYA).

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 don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. 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 Maya Gold and Silver

Maya Gold and Silver Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Founder Noureddine Mokaddem made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$600k worth of shares at a price of CA$0.60 each. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly lower prices. The purchase might not be the best indicator of confidence in the current valuation.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 2.63m shares worth CA$4.6m. But insiders sold 50.00k shares worth CA$140k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Maya Gold and Silver insiders. The average buy price was around CA$1.75. It's great to see insiders putting their own cash into the company's stock, albeit at below the recent share price (CA$1.90). You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Maya Gold and Silver 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.

Insiders at Maya Gold and Silver Have Bought Stock Recently

There was some insider buying at Maya Gold and Silver over the last quarter. Insiders bought CA$63k worth of shares in that time. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

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. Maya Gold and Silver insiders own about CA$55m worth of shares. That equates to 37% of the company. 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 Maya Gold and Silver Insiders?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Maya Gold and Silver insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow for free .

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

To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.

The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.

Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article 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.