Non-Executive Chair of Workiva Martin Vanderploeg Buys More Stock

Investors who take an interest in Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) should definitely note that the Non-Executive Chair, Martin Vanderploeg, recently paid US$78.91 per share to buy US$316k worth of the stock. However, it only increased shareholding by a small percentage, and it wasn't a huge purchase by absolute value, either.

See our latest analysis for Workiva

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Workiva

In fact, the recent purchase by Martin Vanderploeg was the biggest purchase of Workiva shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$78.85. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Martin Vanderploeg was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Workiva than they bought, over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart 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).

Does Workiva Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Workiva insiders own about US$473m worth of shares (which is 11% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Workiva Tell Us?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. But we can't say the same for the transactions over the last 12 months. The recent buying by an insider , along with high insider ownership, suggest that Workiva insiders are fairly aligned, and optimistic. 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 Workiva is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is significant...

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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.