Have Insiders Sold Air Products and Chemicals Shares Recently?

Some Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the EVP of Mergers & Acquisitions, Sean Major, recently sold a substantial US$1.4m worth of stock at a price of US$315 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 24% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Check out our latest analysis for Air Products and Chemicals

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Air Products and Chemicals

In fact, the recent sale by Sean Major was the biggest sale of Air Products and Chemicals shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$309. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last year Air Products and Chemicals insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Air Products and Chemicals better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Air Products and Chemicals Boast High Insider Ownership?

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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Air Products and Chemicals insiders own 0.4% of the company, currently worth about US$282m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Air Products and Chemicals Tell Us?

Insiders sold Air Products and Chemicals shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But since Air Products and Chemicals 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 Air Products and Chemicals. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for Air Products and Chemicals (1 is significant!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

But note: Air Products and Chemicals 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 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.