First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FR) insiders sold US$5.0m worth of stock suggesting impending weakness.

Over the past year, many First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:FR) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for First Industrial Realty Trust

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At First Industrial Realty Trust

The Lead Independent Director, John Rau, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.9m worth of shares at a price of US$42.78 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$55.72). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. This single sale was 67% of John Rau's stake.

In the last year First Industrial Realty Trust insiders didn't buy any company stock. 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 like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership of First Industrial Realty Trust

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. 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 0.6% of First Industrial Realty Trust shares, worth about US$44m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About First Industrial Realty Trust Insiders?

The fact that there have been no First Industrial Realty Trust insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. Still, the insider transactions at First Industrial Realty Trust in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Be aware that First Industrial Realty Trust is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those don't sit too well with us...

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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, 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.
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