Should You Take Comfort From Insider Transactions At Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:AX.UN)?

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 we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Artis Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:AX.UN).

What Is Insider Selling?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. 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'.

Check out our latest analysis for Artis Real Estate Investment Trust

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Artis Real Estate Investment Trust

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Ronald Joyce bought CA$4.0m worth of shares at a price of CA$9.91 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of CA$12.24 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. 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.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 591k shares worth CA$5.9m. While Artis Real Estate Investment Trust insiders bought shares last year, they didn't sell. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Artis Real Estate Investment Trust Insiders Bought Stock Recently

We saw some Artis Real Estate Investment Trust insider buying shares in the last three months. Insiders purchased CA$16k worth of shares in that period. We like it when there are only buyers, and no sellers. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.

Does Artis Real Estate Investment Trust Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Artis Real Estate Investment Trust insiders own about CA$217m worth of shares (which is 13% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The Artis Real Estate Investment Trust Insider Transactions Indicate?

We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). That said, the purchases were not large. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Artis Real Estate Investment Trust insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Artis Real Estate Investment Trust.

But note: Artis Real Estate Investment Trust 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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.