Yahoo Finance Emerson Electric Insiders Sold US$6.3m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy
In the last year, many Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR) 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, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.
While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
Check out our latest analysis for Emerson Electric
Emerson Electric Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Senior VP, Lisa Flavin, for US$4.4m worth of shares, at about US$89.65 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$113. 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. It is worth noting that this sale was only 46% of Lisa Flavin's holding.
Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$2.1m for 24.40k shares. On the other hand they divested 67.76k shares, for US$6.3m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Emerson Electric shares, than buying. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insiders At Emerson Electric Have Sold Stock Recently
The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Emerson Electric shares. Specifically, Senior VP & Chief People Officer Nick Piazza ditched US$239k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all.
Insider Ownership
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Emerson Electric insiders own about US$241m worth of shares (which is 0.4% 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 Emerson Electric Insiders?
An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. But it is good to see that Emerson Electric 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. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Emerson Electric you should be aware of.
But note: Emerson Electric 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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.
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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.
