President Of Delta Air Lines Sold 31% Of Their Shares

Some Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the President, Glen Hauenstein, recently sold a substantial US$4.9m worth of stock at a price of US$49.05 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 31% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

View our latest analysis for Delta Air Lines

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Delta Air Lines

Notably, that recent sale by Glen Hauenstein is the biggest insider sale of Delta Air Lines shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$49.23). We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. 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. It is worth noting that this sale was only 31% of Glen Hauenstein's holding.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Delta Air Lines 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 are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Does Delta Air Lines Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Delta Air Lines insiders own 0.4% of the company, worth about US$128m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Delta Air Lines Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought Delta Air Lines stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But it is good to see that Delta Air Lines is growing earnings. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. 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. For example - Delta Air Lines has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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 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.