Insiders who purchased Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) stock last year recover some losses which currently stand at US$8.6k

Insiders who bought US$96k worth of Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SASR) stock in the last year have seen some of their losses recouped as the stock gained 3.4% last week. However, the purchase is proving to be a costly gamble, since losses made by insiders have totalled US$8.6k since the time of purchase.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for Sandy Spring Bancorp

Sandy Spring Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Craig Ruppert for US$96k worth of shares, at about US$38.43 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$35.00. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Craig Ruppert.

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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Sandy Spring Bancorp insiders own about US$46m worth of shares. That equates to 3.0% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Sandy Spring Bancorp Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Sandy Spring Bancorp insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Sandy Spring Bancorp and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Sandy Spring Bancorp, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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.