It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell Insperity, Inc. (NYSE:NSP), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that ‘insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.’
See our latest analysis for Insperity
Insperity Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Director, Richard Rawson, for US$7.0m worth of shares, at about US$125 per share. We generally don’t like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$94.90). So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.
Over the last year, we note insiders sold 298k shares worth US$36m. Insiders in Insperity didn’t buy any shares in the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
Insperity Insiders Are Selling The Stock
The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Insperity shares. In total, insiders sold US$2.2m worth of shares in that time, and we didn’t record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it’s not the be all and end all.
Insider Ownership of Insperity
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. It’s great to see that Insperity insiders own 6.4% of the company, worth about US$249m. 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 Insperity Insiders?
Insiders sold Insperity shares recently, but they didn’t buy any. And there weren’t any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that Insperity is growing earnings. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Insperity, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
Of course Insperity 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, but not derivative transactions.
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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.