Yahoo Finance Did Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN) Insiders Sell Shares?
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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Qantas Airways Limited (ASX:QAN).
What Is Insider Selling?
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.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. 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'.
See our latest analysis for Qantas Airways
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Qantas Airways
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO, MD & Executive Director, Alan Joyce, for AU$9.0m worth of shares, at about AU$6.29 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of AU$5.60. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern. Alan Joyce was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months. Notably Alan Joyce was also the biggest buyer, having purchased AU$1.7m worth of shares.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 264k shares for AU$1.7m. But insiders sold 1.4m shares worth AU$9.0m. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) 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!
I will like Qantas Airways better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
Does Qantas Airways Boast High 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. Insiders own 0.3% of Qantas Airways shares, worth about AU$30m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Qantas Airways Insiders?
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Still, the insider transactions at Qantas Airways in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Qantas Airways.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
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.
