Yahoo Finance Read This Before Buying Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK) Shares
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 shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (LON:HIK).
What Is Insider Buying?
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 it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Colombia 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’.
See our latest analysis for Hikma Pharmaceuticals
Hikma Pharmaceuticals Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and M&A Bassam Rushdi Kanaan sold UK£575k worth of shares at a price of UK£19.17 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of UK£17.87. While their view may have changed since the sale, this is not a particularly positive fact. Arguably, insider selling at around current prices should give us reason to reflect on whether the stock is fully valued at the moment. Bassam Rushdi Kanaan was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
You can see the insider transactions over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Insider Ownership of Hikma Pharmaceuticals
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It’s great to see that Hikma Pharmaceuticals insiders own 2.2% of the company, worth about UK£96m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Hikma Pharmaceuticals Insiders?
It doesn’t really mean much that no insider has traded Hikma Pharmaceuticals shares in the last quarter. The insider transactions at Hikma Pharmaceuticals are not very heartening. But it’s good to see that insiders own shares in the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Hikma Pharmaceuticals.
But note: Hikma Pharmaceuticals 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.
To help readers see past the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements.
The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned. For errors that warrant correction please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
