CEO & Director of Regulus Therapeutics Joseph Hagan Buys 24% More Shares

Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Joseph Hagan, the CEO & Director of Regulus Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:RGLS) recently shelled out US$54k to buy stock, at US$1.09 per share. While we're hesitant to get too excited about a purchase of that size, we do note it increased their holding by a solid 24%.

Check out our latest analysis for Regulus Therapeutics

Regulus Therapeutics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Joseph Hagan is the biggest insider purchase of Regulus Therapeutics shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$1.00 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

While Regulus Therapeutics insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. 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!

Regulus Therapeutics is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Based on our data, Regulus Therapeutics insiders have about 2.0% of the stock, worth approximately US$1.3m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

So What Do The Regulus Therapeutics Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Regulus Therapeutics insiders are expecting a bright future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Regulus Therapeutics. Our analysis shows 4 warning signs for Regulus Therapeutics (2 don't sit too well with us!) and we strongly recommend you look at them 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.

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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.