Have Insiders Sold Intercontinental Exchange Shares Recently?

Some Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the President, Benjamin Jackson, recently sold a substantial US$4.2m worth of stock at a price of US$167 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 16%, which is notable but not too bad.

View our latest analysis for Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Benjamin Jackson was the biggest sale of Intercontinental Exchange shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$168. 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. 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. This single sale was just 16% of Benjamin Jackson's stake.

Intercontinental Exchange insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Intercontinental Exchange better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Intercontinental Exchange Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Intercontinental Exchange insiders own about US$690m worth of shares (which is 0.7% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The Intercontinental Exchange Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders sold Intercontinental Exchange shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. But since Intercontinental Exchange is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Intercontinental Exchange and we suggest you have a look.

Of course Intercontinental Exchange 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.