Yahoo Finance Great news for Hammerson plc (LON:HMSO): Insiders acquired stock in large numbers last year
Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of Hammerson plc (LON:HMSO), that sends out a positive 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 do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
View our latest analysis for Hammerson
Hammerson Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The Independent Non-Executive Director Adam Metz made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK£72k worth of shares at a price of UK£0.36 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK£0.33 (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. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing 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 Hammerson insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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!
Hammerson is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Hammerson Insiders Bought Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at Hammerson. Specifically, Independent Non-Executive Director Adam Metz bought UK£143k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. That shows some optimism about the company's future.
Insider Ownership of Hammerson
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data suggests Hammerson insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about UK£2.1m. 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 Hammerson Tell Us?
It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Hammerson insiders are expecting a bright future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Hammerson. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Hammerson that deserve your attention before buying any shares.
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.
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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