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United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) insiders sold US$16m worth of stock, possibly signalling a downtrend

In the last year, many United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Executive VP and President of International, Kathleen Gutmann, sold US$10m worth of shares at a price of US$190 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$178. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

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United Parcel Service insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. 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!

insider-trading-volume
insider-trading-volume

I will like United Parcel Service better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insiders At United Parcel Service Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw significant insider selling at United Parcel Service. In total, Executive VP & CFO Brian Newman dumped US$3.5m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by 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 United Parcel Service insiders own 0.07% of the company, worth about US$109m. 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 Do The United Parcel Service Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider hasn't bought United Parcel Service stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that United Parcel Service is growing earnings. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that United Parcel Service has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.

But note: United Parcel Service 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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