Independent Director of HBT Financial Eric Burwell Buys 18% More Shares

Investors who take an interest in HBT Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:HBT) should definitely note that the Independent Director, Eric Burwell, recently paid US$18.99 per share to buy US$114k worth of the stock. That's a very solid buy in our book, and increased their holding by a noteworthy 18%.

See our latest analysis for HBT Financial

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At HBT Financial

Notably, that recent purchase by Eric Burwell is the biggest insider purchase of HBT Financial shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$18.92 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. 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.

While HBT Financial insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

HBT Financial 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.

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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It's great to see that HBT Financial insiders own 60% of the company, worth about US$359m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The HBT Financial Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. Once you factor in the high insider ownership, it certainly seems like insiders are positive about HBT Financial. Looks promising! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing HBT Financial. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for HBT Financial (of which 1 is a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

But note: HBT Financial 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com