Stock Analysis

Insider Buying: The MAS Real Estate Inc. (JSE:MSP) Independent Non-Executive Director Just Bought 73% More Shares

JSE:MSP
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Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Brett Nagle, the Independent Non-Executive Director of MAS Real Estate Inc. (JSE:MSP) recently shelled out R894k to buy stock, at R14.09 per share. Even though that isn't a massive buy, it did increase their holding by 73%, which is arguably a good sign.

See our latest analysis for MAS Real Estate

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At MAS Real Estate

Notably, that recent purchase by Brett Nagle is the biggest insider purchase of MAS Real Estate shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is R14.70. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. Happily, the MAS Real Estate insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months MAS Real Estate insiders were buying shares, but not selling. They paid about R11.41 on average. It is certainly positive to see that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, we do note that they were buying at significantly lower prices than today's share price. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

insider-trading-volume
JSE:MSP Insider Trading Volume March 4th 2021

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does MAS Real Estate Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 6.9% of MAS Real Estate shares, worth about R700m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About MAS Real Estate Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest MAS Real Estate insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. Nice! 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. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (2 are a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in MAS Real Estate.

Of course MAS Real Estate 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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