Gregg Williams Bought 17% More Shares In Vivani Medical

Vivani Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:VANI) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the Independent Chairman of the Board, Gregg Williams, recently bought a whopping US$6.0m worth of stock, at a price of US$1.62. Not only is that a big swing, but it increased their holding size by 17%, which is definitely great to see.

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Vivani Medical Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Gregg Williams is the biggest insider purchase of Vivani Medical shares that we've seen in the last year. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$1.69 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

While Vivani Medical insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The average buy price was around US$1.33. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, we do note that they were buying at significantly lower prices than today's share price. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Check out our latest analysis for Vivani Medical

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Vivani Medical insiders own 44% of the company, currently worth about US$46m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Vivani Medical Insiders?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Once you factor in the high insider ownership, it certainly seems like insiders are positive about Vivani Medical. That's what I like to see! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Vivani Medical. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Vivani Medical (1 is significant) you should be aware of.

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.