Stock Analysis

CFO & Executive Director Of Motus Holdings Sold 36% Of Their Shares

JSE:MTH
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We'd be surprised if Motus Holdings Limited (JSE:MTH) shareholders haven't noticed that the CFO & Executive Director, Ockert J. Van Rensburg, recently sold R8.4m worth of stock at R90.78 per share. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 36% in their holding.

Check out our latest analysis for Motus Holdings

Motus Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Ockert J. Van Rensburg was the biggest sale of Motus Holdings shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of R92.50. 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 36% of Ockert J. Van Rensburg's holding.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 31.00k shares for R2.9m. But insiders sold 215.89k shares worth R22m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Motus Holdings shares, than buying. 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:MTH Insider Trading Volume September 23rd 2023

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does Motus Holdings 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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Motus Holdings insiders own 5.1% of the company, worth about R823m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Motus Holdings Tell Us?

Insiders haven't bought Motus Holdings stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. On the plus side, Motus Holdings makes money, and is growing profits. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Motus Holdings has 3 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

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 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.