Insiders who sold Science Applications International Corporation's (NYSE:SAIC) earlier year may find some solace in the 4.4% drop

Despite the fact that Science Applications International Corporation's (NYSE:SAIC) value has dropped 4.4% in the last week insiders who sold US$1.2m worth of stock in the past 12 months have had less success. Insiders might have been better off holding onto their shares, given that the average selling price of US$92.80 is still below the current share price.

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.

View our latest analysis for Science Applications International

Science Applications International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Independent Director, Timothy Mayopoulos, for US$596k worth of shares, at about US$93.75 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$103. 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 82% of Timothy Mayopoulos's stake.

Science Applications International insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Science Applications International

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 1.0% of Science Applications International shares, worth about US$55m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Science Applications International Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of Science Applications International insider transactions leaves us cautious. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in the company. 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Science Applications International you should know about.

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.

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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.