Who Has Been Selling Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) Shares?

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC).

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, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

See our latest analysis for Jacobs Engineering Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Jacobs Engineering Group

The Independent Director, Joseph Bronson, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$229k worth of shares at a price of US$76.45 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$85.90, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 19.2% of Joseph Bronson's holding. Joseph Bronson was the only individual insider to sell over the last year.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Does Jacobs Engineering 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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Jacobs Engineering Group insiders own 0.5% of the company, worth about US$53m. 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 Jacobs Engineering Group Insiders?

An insider sold Jacobs Engineering Group shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But since Jacobs Engineering Group is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd think twice before buying! Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Jacobs Engineering Group, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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. Thank you for reading.