Don't Ignore The Insider Selling In Pacific Biosciences of California

Investors may wish to note that the Chief Operating Officer of Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., Mark Van Oene, recently netted US$70k from selling stock, receiving an average price of US$2.03. On the bright side, that's just a small sale and only reduced their holding by 8.6%.

View our latest analysis for Pacific Biosciences of California

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Pacific Biosciences of California

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the President, Christian O. Henry, for US$481k worth of shares, at about US$5.96 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$1.85. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Pacific Biosciences of California than they bought, over the last year. 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!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of Pacific Biosciences of California

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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Based on our data, Pacific Biosciences of California insiders have about 0.6% of the stock, worth approximately US$3.2m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Pacific Biosciences of California Insiders?

An insider sold Pacific Biosciences of California shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. When you consider that most companies have higher levels of insider ownership, we're a little wary. So we'd only buy after very careful consideration. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Pacific Biosciences of California. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Pacific Biosciences of California you should be aware of.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.