Have Insiders Sold Pacific Premier Bancorp Shares Recently?

Anyone interested in Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPBI) should probably be aware that a company insider, Michael Karr, recently divested US$276k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$26.87 each. However, the silver lining is that the sale only reduced their total holding by 8.5%, so we're hesitant to read anything much into it, on its own.

See our latest analysis for Pacific Premier Bancorp

Pacific Premier Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Michael Karr is the biggest insider sale of Pacific Premier Bancorp shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$25.07. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.24k shares for US$30k. But they sold 35.48k shares for US$912k. In total, Pacific Premier Bancorp insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Pacific Premier Bancorp Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 2.3% of Pacific Premier Bancorp shares, worth about US$53m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The Pacific Premier Bancorp Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders haven't bought Pacific Premier Bancorp stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. 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. We're in no rush to buy! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that Pacific Premier Bancorp has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore these.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

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

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.