Should You Review Recent Insider Transactions At Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR)?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR).

What Is Insider Buying?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise'.

View our latest analysis for Cullen/Frost Bankers

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Cullen/Frost Bankers

The Independent Director, Carlos Alvarez, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$4.3m worth of shares at a price of US$107 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$107. 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. It is worth noting that this sale was only 12% of Carlos Alvarez's holding.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Cullen/Frost Bankers than they bought, over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Cullen/Frost Bankers better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Cullen/Frost Bankers Boast High 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Cullen/Frost Bankers insiders own 3.8% of the company, worth about US$258m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Cullen/Frost Bankers Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Cullen/Frost Bankers shares in the last quarter. It's heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we'd like to see more insider buying, since the last year of Cullen/Frost Bankers insider transactions don't fill us with confidence. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Cullen/Frost Bankers and we suggest you have a look.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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