Trade Alert: The COO & Member of Management Board Of SBM Offshore N.V. (AMS:SBMO), Philippe Barril, Has Sold Some Shares Recently

We wouldn't blame SBM Offshore N.V. (AMS:SBMO) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Philippe Barril, the COO & Member of Management Board recently netted about €1.6m selling shares at an average price of €14.73. That sale reduced their total holding by 26% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Check out our latest analysis for SBM Offshore

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At SBM Offshore

Notably, that recent sale by Philippe Barril is the biggest insider sale of SBM Offshore shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of €15.10, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. 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. We note that the biggest single sale was only 26%of Philippe Barril's holding.

Insiders in SBM Offshore didn't buy any shares in 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: insiders have been buying them).

Does SBM Offshore Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. SBM Offshore insiders own about €32m worth of shares. That equates to 1.1% of the company. 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 sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for SBM Offshore (1 is a bit concerning!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

Of course SBM Offshore 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.

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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. 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.
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