George Golumbeski of Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) Just Spent US$252k On A Handful Of Shares

Potential Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAGE) shareholders may wish to note that insider George Golumbeski recently bought US$252k worth of stock, paying US$31.45 for each share. Although the purchase is not a big one, by either a percentage standpoint or absolute value, it can be seen as a good sign.

See our latest analysis for Sage Therapeutics

Sage Therapeutics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when President Barry Greene bought US$1.0m worth of shares at a price of US$43.15 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$30.10). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

Sage Therapeutics insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. They paid about US$47.71 on average. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. 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!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership of Sage Therapeutics

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. Insiders own 2.0% of Sage Therapeutics shares, worth about US$36m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Sage Therapeutics Tell Us?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. 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. Insiders likely see value in Sage Therapeutics shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). While we like knowing 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Sage Therapeutics you should know about.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.