Who Has Been Selling The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) 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 The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. 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'.

Check out our latest analysis for Procter & Gamble

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Procter & Gamble

The Chairman, David Taylor, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$18m worth of shares at a price of US$137 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$135. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

Procter & Gamble insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders at Procter & Gamble Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw significant insider selling at Procter & Gamble. In total, insiders sold US$6.6m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Procter & Gamble insiders own about US$199m worth of shares (which is 0.06% of the company). 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 Procter & Gamble Insiders?

Insiders sold Procter & Gamble shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But since Procter & Gamble is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Procter & Gamble. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Procter & Gamble 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, but not derivative transactions.

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