Aclaris Therapeutics' Recent Gains Improve Losses On Insider Purchases Worth US$1.50m

Insiders who purchased US$1.50m worth of Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS) shares over the past year recouped some of their losses after price gained 10% last week. However, the purchase is proving to be an expensive wager as insiders are yet to get ahead of their losses which currently stand at US$440k since the time of purchase.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

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Aclaris Therapeutics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Director Anand Mehra bought US$1.5m worth of shares at a price of US$2.25 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$1.59. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Anand Mehra.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Check out our latest analysis for Aclaris Therapeutics

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Aclaris Therapeutics

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Our data suggests Aclaris Therapeutics insiders own 2.7% of the company, worth about US$4.6m. We consider this fairly low insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Aclaris Therapeutics Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Aclaris Therapeutics shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Aclaris Therapeutics stock. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Aclaris Therapeutics (2 are a bit concerning) you should be aware of.

But note: Aclaris Therapeutics 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.