Have Insiders Sold Jefferies Financial Group Shares Recently?

Some Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the President & Director, Brian Friedman, recently sold a substantial US$13m worth of stock at a price of US$63.09 per share. However, that sale only accounted for 3.6% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

Check out our latest analysis for Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO & Director, Richard Handler, for US$65m worth of shares, at about US$43.50 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$65.47). We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 8.2% of Richard Handler's holding.

Insiders in Jefferies Financial Group didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Jefferies Financial Group 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 Jefferies Financial Group Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Jefferies Financial Group insiders own 21% of the company, worth about US$2.9b. 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 Does This Data Suggest About Jefferies Financial Group Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought Jefferies Financial Group stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. But it is good to see that Jefferies Financial Group is growing earnings. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. While it's good to be aware of 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Jefferies Financial Group and we suggest you have a look.

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.