Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Robert Walters Philippe Van de Walle Buys 31% More Shares

Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Robert Walters plc (LON:RWA) Independent Non-Executive Chairman, Philippe Van de Walle, recently bought UK£45k worth of stock, for UK£2.46 per share. That purchase might not be huge but it did increase their holding by 31%.

Check out our latest analysis for Robert Walters

Robert Walters Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Independent Non-Executive Chairman Philippe Van de Walle was not their only acquisition of Robert Walters shares this year. Earlier in the year, they paid UK£3.79 per share in a UK£95k purchase. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK£2.52). 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.

Robert Walters insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Robert Walters is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Robert Walters Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Our information indicates that Robert Walters insiders own about UK£265k worth of shares. It's always possible we are missing something but from our data, it looks like insider ownership is minimal.

So What Do The Robert Walters Insider Transactions Indicate?

We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Robert Walters stock. 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. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Robert Walters.

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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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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.