VP of Legal Affairs & General Counsel Of Kulicke and Soffa Industries Sold 29% Of Their Shares \

Some Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:KLIC) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the VP of Legal Affairs & General Counsel, Stephen Ray Drake, recently sold a substantial US$575k worth of stock at a price of US$57.46 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 29% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

View our latest analysis for Kulicke and Soffa Industries

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Kulicke and Soffa Industries

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Executive VP of Finance & IT and CFO, Lester A. Wong, for US$2.1m worth of shares, at about US$51.48 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$57.98, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 24% of Lester A. Wong's stake.

Insiders in Kulicke and Soffa Industries didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Insider Ownership Of Kulicke and Soffa Industries

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Kulicke and Soffa Industries insiders own 3.1% of the company, worth about US$102m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Kulicke and Soffa Industries Tell Us?

Insiders sold Kulicke and Soffa Industries shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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 Kulicke and Soffa Industries (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

Of course Kulicke and Soffa Industries 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, 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.