Have Orange County Bancorp Insiders Been Selling Stock?

Investors may wish to note that the Executive VP & Regional President of Westchester County of Orange County Bancorp, Inc., Joseph Ruhl, recently netted US$53k from selling stock, receiving an average price of US$57.75. However we note that the sale only shrunk their holding by 8.5%.

View our latest analysis for Orange County Bancorp

Orange County Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Executive VP & Strategic Lending Relationship Executive, Michael Coulter, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$84k worth of shares at a price of US$56.00 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$59.50). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was 72% of Michael Coulter's holding.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Orange County Bancorp than they bought, over the last year. 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!

I will like Orange County Bancorp better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Orange County Bancorp Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 15% of Orange County Bancorp shares, worth about US$52m. 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 Orange County Bancorp Insiders?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at Orange County Bancorp, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that Orange County Bancorp has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

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 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.