Have State Street Insiders Been Selling Stock?

We wouldn't blame State Street Corporation (NYSE:STT) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that John Plansky, a company insider, recently netted about US$1.0m selling shares at an average price of US$88.83. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 17%, which is notable but not too bad.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At State Street

The Independent Director, Patrick de Saint-Aignan, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.9m worth of shares at a price of US$98.24 each. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$94.06. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

All up, insiders sold more shares in State Street than they bought, over the last year. They sold for an average price of about US$92.28. We don't gain confidence from insider selling below the recent share price. Since insiders sell for many reasons, we wouldn't put too much weight on it. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Check out our latest analysis for State Street

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Insider Ownership Of State Street

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. State Street insiders own about US$139m worth of shares (which is 0.5% 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.

What Might The Insider Transactions At State Street Tell Us?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. On the plus side, State Street makes money, and is growing profits. 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. For example - State Street has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.