New York Times CEO, President & Director Meredith Kopit Levien Sells 26% Of Holding

Some The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the CEO, President & Director, Meredith Kopit Levien, recently sold a substantial US$1.0m worth of stock at a price of US$43.92 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 26% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Check out our latest analysis for New York Times

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At New York Times

Notably, that recent sale by CEO, President & Director Meredith Kopit Levien was not the only time they sold New York Times shares this year. Earlier in the year, they fetched US$40.05 per share in a -US$1.2m sale. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$42.58. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was only 33%of Meredith Kopit Levien's holding.

In the last year New York Times insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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).

Does New York Times Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 0.6% of New York Times shares, worth about US$44m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About New York Times Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. While we like knowing 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for New York Times you should know about.

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.

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.