Axcelis Technologies Insiders Sold US$877k Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy

The fact that multiple Axcelis Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLS) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Axcelis Technologies

Axcelis Technologies Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Chairman, Jorge Titinger, sold US$669k worth of shares at a price of US$110 per share. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$75.07. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.04k shares for US$116k. On the other hand they divested 7.79k shares, for US$877k. All up, insiders sold more shares in Axcelis Technologies than they bought, 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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Insider Ownership Of Axcelis Technologies

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. Insiders own 1.2% of Axcelis Technologies shares, worth about US$28m. 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 Axcelis Technologies Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Still, the insider transactions at Axcelis Technologies in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in the company. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For example - Axcelis Technologies has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Axcelis Technologies 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.