Despite a 11% gain in GSH Corporation Limited's (SGX:BDX) stock price this week, shareholders shouldn't let up. The fact that insiders chose to dispose of S$5.0m worth of stock in the past 12 months even though prices were relatively low could be indicative of some anticipated weakness.
Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
GSH Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Notably, that recent sale by Guan Hui Ee is the biggest insider sale of GSH shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (S$0.21). 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. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 18% of Guan Hui Ee's holding.
You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
View our latest analysis for GSH
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insiders At GSH Have Sold Stock Recently
The last three months saw significant insider selling at GSH. Specifically, CEO & Executive Director Guan Hui Ee ditched S$5.0m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.
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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. GSH insiders own about S$313m worth of shares (which is 74% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About GSH Insiders?
An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. While it's good to be aware of 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 2 warning signs for GSH you should be aware of, and 1 of these is significant.
Of course GSH 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 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.