CEO & Executive Director Paul Swinney Sold A Bunch Of Shares In Tristel

We'd be surprised if Tristel plc (LON:TSTL) shareholders haven't noticed that the CEO & Executive Director, Paul Swinney, recently sold UK£311k worth of stock at UK£4.40 per share. That sale was 31% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.

See our latest analysis for Tristel

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Tristel

Notably, that recent sale by CEO & Executive Director Paul Swinney was not the only time they sold Tristel shares this year. They previously made an even bigger sale of -UK£350k worth of shares at a price of UK£3.50 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (UK£4.35). We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 24% of Paul Swinney's stake.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Tristel than they bought, over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Tristel insiders own about UK£6.0m worth of shares (which is 2.9% of the company). Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Tristel Tell Us?

Insiders sold Tristel shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But since Tristel is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. Insiders own relatively few shares in the company, and when you consider the sales, we're not particularly excited about the stock. So we'd only buy after very careful consideration. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Tristel and we suggest you have a look.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

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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.

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