Have Insiders Sold SBM Offshore Shares Recently?

We wouldn't blame SBM Offshore N.V. (AMS:SBMO) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Douglas H. Wood, the CFO & Member of Management Board recently netted about €571k selling shares at an average price of €17.18. However, that sale only accounted for 8.0% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

View our latest analysis for SBM Offshore

SBM Offshore Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Douglas H. Wood is the biggest insider sale of SBM Offshore shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of €17.22. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 8.0% of Douglas H. Wood's stake.

In the last year SBM Offshore insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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).

Does SBM Offshore Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 1.2% of SBM Offshore shares, worth about €37m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About SBM Offshore Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought SBM Offshore stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. On the plus side, SBM Offshore makes money, and is growing profits. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! 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. For example, SBM Offshore has 4 warning signs (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about.

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.