Have Insiders Sold Stewart Information Services Shares Recently?

Anyone interested in Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) should probably be aware that the President of Technology & Operations, Brad Rable, recently divested US$372k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$65.32 each. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 19% in their holding.

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Stewart Information Services Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Advisor & Director, Matthew Morris, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$956k worth of shares at a price of US$74.12 each. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$65.41). So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Stewart Information Services than they bought, over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

See our latest analysis for Stewart Information Services

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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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Stewart Information Services insiders own about US$38m worth of shares. That equates to 2.1% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Stewart Information Services Insiders?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at Stewart Information Services, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But since Stewart Information Services is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Stewart Information Services and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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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.