Founder of Agenus Picks Up 27% More Stock

Investors who take an interest in Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) should definitely note that the Founder, Garo Armen, recently paid US$0.65 per share to buy US$324k worth of the stock. That's a very solid buy in our book, and increased their holding by a noteworthy 27%.

View our latest analysis for Agenus

Agenus Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Garo Armen is the biggest insider purchase of Agenus shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$0.66. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. The good news for Agenus share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

In the last twelve months Agenus insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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!

Agenus is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Agenus Boast High 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. From looking at our data, insiders own US$2.8m worth of Agenus stock, about 1.1% of the company. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Agenus Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that Agenus insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. 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. When we did our research, we found 5 warning signs for Agenus (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

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 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.