Yahoo Finance Have Insiders Been Buying Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) Shares This Year?
We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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 before you buy or sell Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.
Check out our latest analysis for Groupon
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Groupon
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Director Theodore Leonsis bought US$950k worth of shares at a price of US$0.95 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$1.09. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. The good news for Groupon share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.
While Groupon insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Groupon Insiders Bought Stock Recently
It's good to see that Groupon insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Not only was there no selling that we can see, but they collectively bought US$1.1m worth of shares. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence.
Insider Ownership
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Groupon insiders own 15% of the company, worth about US$94m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.
So What Do The Groupon Insider Transactions Indicate?
It is good to see recent purchasing. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. Insiders likely see value in Groupon shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Groupon.
But note: Groupon 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.
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