Have Insiders Sold MarketAxess Holdings Shares Recently?

Anyone interested in MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:MKTX) should probably be aware that the Chief Revenue Officer, Kevin McPherson, recently divested US$443k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$221 each. However, the silver lining is that the sale only reduced their total holding by 2.8%, so we're hesitant to read anything much into it, on its own.

View our latest analysis for MarketAxess Holdings

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At MarketAxess Holdings

The CEO, Interim CFO & Director Christopher Concannon made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.0m worth of shares at a price of US$241 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$219. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Christopher Concannon was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

Over the last year we saw more insider selling of MarketAxess Holdings shares, than buying. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. 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.

Does MarketAxess Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. MarketAxess Holdings insiders own 1.8% of the company, currently worth about US$153m based on the recent share price. 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 Do The MarketAxess Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider sold MarketAxess Holdings shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But since MarketAxess Holdings is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of MarketAxess Holdings.

Of course MarketAxess Holdings 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.