Helmerich & Payne Sees Insider Stock Selling

Looking at Helmerich & Payne, Inc.'s (NYSE:HP ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net sellers. That is, there were more number of shares sold by insiders than there were purchased.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Helmerich & Payne

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Helmerich & Payne

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Chairman of the Board, Hans Helmerich, sold US$4.3m worth of shares at a price of US$43.65 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$37.99). So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. Hans Helmerich was the only individual insider to sell over 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 Helmerich & Payne better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Helmerich & Payne

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Helmerich & Payne insiders own 3.6% of the company, currently worth about US$137m based on the recent share price. 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 Helmerich & Payne Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Helmerich & Payne shares in the last quarter. It's heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we'd like to see more insider buying, since the last year of Helmerich & Payne insider transactions don't fill us with confidence. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Helmerich & Payne, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Helmerich & Payne 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.