Have Insiders Been Buying Craneware plc (LON:CRW) Shares This Year?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Craneware plc (LON:CRW).

What Is Insider Selling?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. 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.'

View our latest analysis for Craneware

Craneware Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Co-Founder Keith Neilson for UK£149k worth of shares, at about UK£30.85 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. It's not at all bad to see insiders buy shares at or above current prices. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Keith Neilson.

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!

I will like Craneware better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this freelist of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership of Craneware

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. Craneware insiders own about UK£172m worth of shares (which is 26% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Craneware Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Craneware insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, Craneware insiders feel good about the company's future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Craneware, you should check out this freereport on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.

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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.