Have Insiders Sold Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE:B) Shares Recently?

We note that the Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE:B) Independent Director, Mylle Bell Mangum, recently sold US$59k worth of stock for US$59.29 per share. However we note that the sale only shrunk their holding by 9.7%.

See our latest analysis for Barnes Group

Barnes Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Senior VP of Finance & CFO, Christopher Stephens, for US$1.2m worth of shares, at about US$58.32 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$53.70. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold 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).

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 221.65 shares for US$12k. But insiders sold 46394 shares worth US$2.6m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Barnes Group shares, than buying. You can see the insider transactions (by 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!

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Does Barnes Group 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. Barnes Group insiders own about US$175m worth of shares (which is 6.4% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Barnes Group Insiders?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at Barnes Group, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

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