Multiple Insiders Sold uniQure Shares Presenting Weak Signs For Investors

Quite a few uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE) insiders sold their shares over the past year, which may be a cause for concern. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, when multiple insiders sell stock over a specific duration, shareholders should take notice as that could possibly be a red flag.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for uniQure

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At uniQure

The CEO & Executive Director, Matthew Kapusta, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$177k worth of shares at a price of US$6.35 each. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$5.72. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

uniQure insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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 Of uniQure

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. From looking at our data, insiders own US$4.6m worth of uniQure stock, about 1.7% of the company. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About uniQure Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of uniQure insider transactions leaves us unenthusiastic. 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. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for uniQure that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

But note: uniQure 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.