The Independent Chairman of the Board of Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD), Thomas Kelley, Just Sold 57% Of Their Holding

Some Washington Federal, Inc. (NASDAQ:WAFD) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Independent Chairman of the Board, Thomas Kelley, recently sold a substantial US$631k worth of stock at a price of US$37.11 per share. Probably the most concerning element of the whole transaction is that the disposal amounted to 57% of their entire holding.

Check out our latest analysis for Washington Federal

Washington Federal Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Thomas Kelley was the biggest sale of Washington Federal shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$35.38. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does Washington Federal 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. Washington Federal insiders own about US$38m worth of shares. That equates to 1.6% 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.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Washington Federal Insiders?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. On the plus side, Washington Federal makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We're in no rush to buy! So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For example - Washington Federal has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Washington Federal 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, 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.