Independent Non-Executive Chairman of Spectris Mark Williamson Buys 62% More Shares

Potential Spectris plc (LON:SXS) shareholders may wish to note that the Independent Non-Executive Chairman, Mark Williamson, recently bought UK£300k worth of stock, paying UK£24.76 for each share. That certainly has us anticipating the best, especially since they thusly increased their own holding by 62%, potentially signalling some real optimism.

View our latest analysis for Spectris

Spectris Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Mark Williamson is the biggest insider purchase of Spectris shares that we've seen in the last year. That implies that an insider found the current price of UK£25.86 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. Happily, the Spectris insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Spectris insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Spectris 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 Spectris Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data suggests Spectris insiders own 0.1% of the company, worth about UK£2.9m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Spectris Insiders?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on Spectris stock. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Spectris. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Spectris (1 is a bit concerning) you should be aware of.

But note: Spectris 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 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.