Stock Analysis

Who Has Been Buying Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED) Shares?

NYSE:ED
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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED).

What Is Insider Selling?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

See our latest analysis for Consolidated Edison

Consolidated Edison Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Senior VP & CFO Robert Hoglund for US$143k worth of shares, at about US$71.65 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$71.02 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Consolidated Edison insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

insider-trading-volume
NYSE:ED Insider Trading Volume December 31st 2020

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders at Consolidated Edison Have Bought Stock Recently

We saw some Consolidated Edison insider buying shares in the last three months. Insiders purchased US$33k worth of shares in that period. We like it when there are only buyers, and no sellers. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.

Does Consolidated Edison 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Consolidated Edison insiders own 0.1% of the company, worth about US$24m. 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 Consolidated Edison Insider Transactions Indicate?

Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. That said, the purchases were not large. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Consolidated Edison and their transactions don't cause us concern. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Consolidated Edison (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about.

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, 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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