Have Insiders Been Selling Sea Harvest Group Limited (JSE:SHG) Shares?

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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 Sea Harvest Group Limited (JSE:SHG).

What Is Insider Buying?

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, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. 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'.

Check out our latest analysis for Sea Harvest Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Sea Harvest Group

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO & Executive Director, Felix Ratheb, for R6.1m worth of shares, at about R12.41 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (R14.99). As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower 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. It is worth noting that this sale was only 22% of Felix Ratheb's holding.

In the last year Sea Harvest Group insiders didn't buy any company stock. 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!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership of Sea Harvest Group

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. Based on our data, Sea Harvest Group insiders have about 1.7% of the stock, worth approximately R69m. However, it's possible that insiders might have an indirect interest through a more complex structure. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Sea Harvest Group Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Sea Harvest Group shares in the last quarter. Still, the insider transactions at Sea Harvest Group in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Sea Harvest Group and we suggest you have a look.

Of course Sea Harvest Group 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. 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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