Advertisement
UK markets closed
  • NIKKEI 225

    38,835.10
    +599.03 (+1.57%)
     
  • HANG SENG

    18,479.37
    -98.93 (-0.53%)
     
  • CRUDE OIL

    78.56
    +0.08 (+0.10%)
     
  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,322.30
    -8.90 (-0.38%)
     
  • DOW

    38,884.26
    +31.99 (+0.08%)
     
  • Bitcoin GBP

    50,386.96
    -240.51 (-0.48%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,309.57
    -55.56 (-4.07%)
     
  • NASDAQ Composite

    16,332.56
    -16.69 (-0.10%)
     
  • UK FTSE All Share

    4,522.99
    +53.90 (+1.21%)
     

Have Insiders Been Buying ITC Properties Group Limited (HKG:199) Shares?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in ITC Properties Group Limited (HKG:199).

What Is Insider Selling?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

ADVERTISEMENT

Check out our latest analysis for ITC Properties Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ITC Properties Group

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Yuen Lan Ng for HK$2.0m worth of shares, at about HK$1.98 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than HK$1.05 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. 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 ITC Properties Group insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The average buy price was around HK$1.67. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by 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!

SEHK:199 Recent Insider Trading, March 1st 2020
SEHK:199 Recent Insider Trading, March 1st 2020

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. ITC Properties Group insiders own about HK$605m worth of shares (which is 60% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About ITC Properties Group Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Judging from their transactions, and high insider ownership, ITC Properties Group insiders feel good about the company's future. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow for free.

But note: ITC Properties Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.