Did Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) Insiders Sell Shares?

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE:HLF), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.'

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Check out our latest analysis for Herbalife Nutrition

Herbalife Nutrition Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the , John Tartol, sold US$1.1m worth of shares at a price of US$53.78 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$46.43. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

We note that in the last year insiders divested 37440 shares for a total of US$2.1m. Insiders in Herbalife Nutrition didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership of Herbalife Nutrition

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Herbalife Nutrition insiders own 5.4% of the company, currently worth about US$355m based on the recent share price. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Do The Herbalife Nutrition Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Herbalife Nutrition insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Herbalife Nutrition, we can't say the same about the selling of shares. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Herbalife Nutrition.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.