VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer Of Carpenter Technology Sold 29% Of Their Shares

Some Carpenter Technology Corporation (NYSE:CRS) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the VP, Controller & Chief Accounting Officer, Elizabeth Socci, recently sold a substantial US$1.3m worth of stock at a price of US$321 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 29% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

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Carpenter Technology Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO & Chairman of the Board, Tony Thene, for US$4.7m worth of shares, at about US$246 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$312, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower 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. This single sale was just 3.6% of Tony Thene's stake.

In the last year Carpenter Technology insiders didn't buy any company stock. 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!

Check out our latest analysis for Carpenter Technology

I will like Carpenter Technology better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Carpenter Technology Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Carpenter Technology insiders own 2.5% of the company, currently worth about US$396m based on the recent share price. 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 Carpenter Technology Tell Us?

Insiders sold Carpenter Technology shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But since Carpenter Technology is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Carpenter Technology that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

Of course Carpenter Technology may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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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.