VerticalScope Holdings CEO & President Acquires 19% More Stock

Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the VerticalScope Holdings Inc. (TSE:FORA) CEO & President, Christopher Goodridge, recently bought CA$69k worth of stock, for CA$3.30 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 19%.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At VerticalScope Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Founder & Chair of the Board, Robert Laidlaw, sold CA$511k worth of shares at a price of CA$10.90 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of CA$3.42. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. Notably Robert Laidlaw was also the biggest buyer, having purchased CA$724k worth of shares.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 138.60k shares for CA$724k. On the other hand they divested 170.20k shares, for CA$1.8m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of VerticalScope Holdings shares, than buying. 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!

Check out our latest analysis for VerticalScope Holdings

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Does VerticalScope Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From looking at our data, insiders own CA$2.3m worth of VerticalScope Holdings stock, about 3.3% of the company. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

So What Do The VerticalScope Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. On the other hand the transaction history, over the last year, isn't so positive. Neither the level of insider ownership, nor the transactions over the last twelve months inspire us, but we think the recent buying is positive. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for VerticalScope Holdings and we suggest you have a look.

But note: VerticalScope 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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.