Have Insiders Sold Greenbrier Companies Shares Recently?

We'd be surprised if The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) shareholders haven't noticed that the Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Laurie Dornan, recently sold US$302k worth of stock at US$50.92 per share. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 20% in their holding.

View our latest analysis for Greenbrier Companies

Greenbrier Companies Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the President, Lorie Tekorius, for US$501k worth of shares, at about US$52.01 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$44.59. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Greenbrier Companies shares, than buying. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, 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: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Does Greenbrier Companies Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 3.1% of Greenbrier Companies shares, worth about US$44m. 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 Greenbrier Companies Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought Greenbrier Companies stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. But it is good to see that Greenbrier Companies is growing earnings. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We'd practice some caution before buying! 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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Greenbrier Companies (including 1 which is significant).

Of course Greenbrier Companies 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.