Scott Drake Is The President of ViewRay, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRAY) And They Just Picked Up 7.5% More Shares

Investors who take an interest in ViewRay, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRAY) should definitely note that the President, Scott Drake, recently paid US$2.55 per share to buy US$400k worth of the stock. While that's a very decent purchase to our minds, it was proportionally a bit modest, boosting their holding by just 7.5%.

See our latest analysis for ViewRay

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ViewRay

Notably, that recent purchase by President Scott Drake was not the only time they bought ViewRay shares this year. Earlier in the year, they paid US$5.60 per share in a US$500k purchase. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$3.30 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

While ViewRay insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. They paid about US$3.33 on average. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership of ViewRay

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that ViewRay insiders own 2.1% of the company, worth about US$13m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About ViewRay Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of ViewRay we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for ViewRay you should be aware of.

But note: ViewRay 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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.