Yahoo Finance Bullish insiders bet UK£624k on ITV plc (LON:ITV)
Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of ITV plc (LON:ITV), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.
See our latest analysis for ITV
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ITV
The insider Peter Bazalgette made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK£99k worth of shares at a price of UK£0.80 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK£0.59 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. 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.
While ITV insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. 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!
ITV is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Insider Ownership Of ITV
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. Our data suggests ITV insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about UK£4.1m. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.
So What Does This Data Suggest About ITV Insiders?
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more ITV stock. 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. When we did our research, we found 3 warning signs for ITV (2 are concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.
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. 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.
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