Yahoo Finance Who Has Been Selling Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) Shares?
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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
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. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.'
See our latest analysis for Lockheed Martin
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Lockheed Martin
The Chairman, Marillyn Hewson, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$8.1m worth of shares at a price of US$325 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$369). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was 55.1% of Marillyn Hewson's stake.
All up, insiders sold more shares in Lockheed Martin than they bought, over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Lockheed Martin Insiders Are Selling The Stock
The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Lockheed Martin shares. In total, Independent Director David Burritt sold US$693k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.
Does Lockheed Martin 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. Lockheed Martin insiders own about US$104m worth of shares (which is 0.1% 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 Lockheed Martin Insiders?
An insider sold Lockheed Martin shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. On the plus side, Lockheed Martin makes money, and is growing profits. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Lockheed Martin.
Of course Lockheed Martin may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.
For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body.
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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.
