We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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 Jersey Oil and Gas Plc (LON:JOG).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.
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. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.
Check out our latest analysis for Jersey Oil and Gas
Jersey Oil and Gas Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by COO & Executive Director Ronald Lansdell for UK£57k worth of shares, at about UK£1.13 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK£1.80. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.
While Jersey Oil and Gas 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!
Jersey Oil and Gas is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Does Jersey Oil and Gas Boast High Insider Ownership?
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by 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. Insiders own 8.3% of Jersey Oil and Gas shares, worth about UK£3.3m, according to our data. However, it's possible that insiders might have an indirect interest through a more complex structure. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!
So What Do The Jersey Oil and Gas Insider Transactions Indicate?
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Jersey Oil and Gas insiders are doubting the company. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Jersey Oil and Gas, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
Of course Jersey Oil and Gas may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
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.