Insiders Sold Precigen Prematurely At US$1.41 With Stock Trading Higher

Precigen, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PGEN) stock price has dropped 13% in the previous week, but insiders who sold US$136k in stock over the past year have had less luck. Given that the average selling price of US$1.41 is still lower than the current share price, insiders would probably have been better off keeping their shares.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Precigen

Precigen Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Director, Jeffrey Kindler, sold US$136k worth of shares at a price of US$1.41 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$0.80. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. Jeffrey Kindler was the only individual insider to sell over the last year.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by 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. Our data indicates that Precigen insiders own about US$7.6m worth of shares (which is 3.3% of the company). We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Precigen Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Precigen shares in the last quarter. The insider transactions at Precigen are not inspiring us to buy. And usually insiders own more stock in the company, according to our data. While it's good to be aware of 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. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Precigen (1 is significant!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.

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 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.