With Arcosa, Inc.'s (NYSE:ACA)) price down 7.3% this week, insiders might find some solace having sold US$2.5m worth of shares earlier this year.

Insiders at Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) sold US$2.5m worth of stock at an average price of US$62.43 a share over the past year, making the most of their investment. The company's market worth decreased by US$205m over the past week after the stock price dropped 7.3%, although insiders were able to minimize their losses

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Arcosa

Arcosa Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Group President, Kerry Cole, for US$1.0m worth of shares, at about US$63.36 per share. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$53.96. So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.

In the last year Arcosa insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Arcosa insiders own 1.6% of the company, worth about US$41m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Arcosa Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Arcosa shares in the last quarter. Still, the insider transactions at Arcosa in the last 12 months are not very heartening. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. 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 - Arcosa has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Arcosa 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.

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.

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