Yahoo Finance How Much Are AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) Insiders Spending On Buying Shares?
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!
We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.
Check out our latest analysis for AstraZeneca
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At AstraZeneca
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CEO & Executive Director Pascal Soriot bought UK£996k worth of shares at a price of UK£58.26 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is UK£64.38. 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. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 26120 shares worth UK£1.5m. While AstraZeneca insiders bought shares last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by 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!
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).
AstraZeneca Insiders Bought Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at AstraZeneca. Overall, three insiders shelled out US$1.5m for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.
Does AstraZeneca Boast High Insider Ownership?
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 0.02% of AstraZeneca shares, worth about UK£20m. 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 AstraZeneca Tell Us?
It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest AstraZeneca insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for AstraZeneca.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.