Possible Bearish Signals With Mettler-Toledo International Insiders Disposing Stock

In the last year, many Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

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.

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Mettler-Toledo International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Head of European & North American Market Organizations, Marc de La Gueronniere, for US$1.2m worth of shares, at about US$1,334 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$1,266. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

Mettler-Toledo International insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Check out our latest analysis for Mettler-Toledo International

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Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Mettler-Toledo International insiders own about US$413m worth of shares (which is 1.6% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Mettler-Toledo International Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Mettler-Toledo International insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. It's great to see high levels of insider ownership, but looking back over the last year, we don't gain confidence from the Mettler-Toledo International insiders selling. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Mettler-Toledo International. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Mettler-Toledo International.

Of course Mettler-Toledo International may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.

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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.