Simpson Manufacturing Insiders Sold US$3.4m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy

Over the past year, many Simpson Manufacturing Co., Inc. (NYSE:SSD) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, when multiple insiders sell stock over a specific duration, shareholders should take notice as that could possibly be a red flag.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for Simpson Manufacturing

Simpson Manufacturing Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the CEO, President & Director, Michael Olosky, sold US$1.3m worth of shares at a price of US$187 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$188. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent 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. It is worth noting that this sale was 59% of Michael Olosky's holding.

In the last year Simpson Manufacturing 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. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of Simpson Manufacturing

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. Simpson Manufacturing insiders own about US$37m worth of shares. That equates to 0.5% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Simpson Manufacturing Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Simpson Manufacturing insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. Still, the insider transactions at Simpson Manufacturing in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. 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.

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 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.