Despite recent gains, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited (NZSE:FPH) insiders are still down NZ$58k after purchasing last year

Insiders who purchased NZ$154k worth of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited (NZSE:FPH) shares over the past year recouped some of their losses after price gained 3.3% last week. However, the purchase is proving to be a costly gamble, since losses made by insiders have totalled NZ$58k since the time of purchase.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Director Lisa E. McIntyre for NZ$143k worth of shares, at about NZ$32.45 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than NZ$19.73 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Have Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Insiders Traded Recently?

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Independent Chairman Scott St John purchased NZ$12k worth of shares in that period. We like it when there are only buyers, and no sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Fisher & Paykel Healthcare insiders own 0.4% of the company, worth about NZ$40m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Tell Us?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. The net investment is not enough to encourage us much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders do have a stake in Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and their transactions don't cause us concern. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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. 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.