Robert Casciato Is The Independent Director of Meridian Corporation (NASDAQ:MRBK) And They Just Picked Up 3.0% More Shares

Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Robert Casciato, the Independent Director of Meridian Corporation (NASDAQ:MRBK) recently shelled out US$82k to buy stock, at US$27.19 per share. Although the purchase is not a big one, increasing their shareholding by only 3.0%, it can be interpreted as a good sign.

Check out our latest analysis for Meridian

Meridian Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Independent Director Robert Casciato was not their only acquisition of Meridian shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of US$156k worth of shares at a price of US$31.25 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$26.75 (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. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

While Meridian 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 want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Meridian is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 13% of Meridian shares, worth about US$20m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Meridian Insiders?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Insiders likely see value in Meridian shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Meridian you should know about.

Of course Meridian 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. 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.