Martha Goss Is The Independent Director of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) And Just Spent US$8.8k On Shares

Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Martha Goss, the Independent Director of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK) recently shelled out US$8.8k to buy stock, at US$145 per share. Nevertheless, it only increased their shareholding by a minuscule percentage, and it wasn't a massive purchase by absolute value, either.

See our latest analysis for American Water Works Company

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At American Water Works Company

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Lloyd Yates for US$232k worth of shares, at about US$116 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$136. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 2.06k shares for US$241k. On the other hand they divested 609.00 shares, for US$88k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by American Water Works Company insiders. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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Insider Ownership of American Water Works Company

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that American Water Works Company insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about US$63m. 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 Do The American Water Works Company Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think American Water Works Company insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. 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. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for American Water Works Company that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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