Westwood Holdings Group's Market Cap Up US$12m Following Year Of Insider Stock Buying

Insiders who bought Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. (NYSE:WHG) stock in the last 12 months were richly rewarded last week. The company's market value increased by US$12m as a result of the stock's 10% gain over the same period. As a result, their original purchase of US$279.9k worth of stock is now worth US$376.3k.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

See our latest analysis for Westwood Holdings Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Westwood Holdings Group

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider J. Hoak bought US$276k worth of shares at a price of US$12.55 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of US$16.85. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

J. Hoak purchased 22.33k shares over the year. The average price per share was US$12.53. 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!

Westwood Holdings Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of Westwood Holdings Group

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. It appears that Westwood Holdings Group insiders own 19% of the company, worth about US$25m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The Westwood Holdings Group Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Westwood Holdings Group insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Westwood Holdings Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. 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. To assist with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Westwood Holdings Group.

But note: Westwood Holdings Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.

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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.