Yahoo Finance Insiders may be rethinking their US$2.5m Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE:BNED) investment now that the company has lost US$23m in value
The recent 14% drop in Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.'s (NYSE:BNED) stock could come as a blow to insiders who purchased US$2.5m worth of stock at an average buy price of US$5.86 over the past 12 months. This is not good as insiders invest based on expectations that their money will appreciate over time. However, as a result of recent losses, their original investment is now worth only US$1.1m.
Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
View our latest analysis for Barnes & Noble Education
Barnes & Noble Education Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The insider Zachary Levenick made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$586k worth of shares at a price of US$7.09 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$2.65 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 433.04k shares for US$2.5m. But insiders sold 4.00k shares worth US$30k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Barnes & Noble Education insiders. They paid about US$5.86 on average. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Does Barnes & Noble Education Boast High 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. 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 22% of Barnes & Noble Education shares, worth about US$31m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.
So What Do The Barnes & Noble Education Insider Transactions Indicate?
The fact that there have been no Barnes & Noble Education insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Barnes & Noble Education and their transactions don't cause us concern. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Barnes & Noble Education. For example, Barnes & Noble Education has 2 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
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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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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