Yahoo Finance Are Insiders Selling Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKS) Stock?
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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKS).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. 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.'
See our latest analysis for Brooks Automation
Brooks Automation Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO, President & Director, Stephen Schwartz, for US$2.9m worth of shares, at about US$30.93 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$38.68. 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 15.9% of Stephen Schwartz's stake.
We note that in the last year insiders divested 314k shares for a total of US$9.7m. Insiders in Brooks Automation didn't buy any shares in the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by 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!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Brooks Automation Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Brooks Automation. In total, insiders dumped US$270k 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 of Brooks Automation
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 2.5% of Brooks Automation shares, worth about US$67m. 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 Brooks Automation Insider Transactions Indicate?
Insiders sold Brooks Automation shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look to the last year, we didn't see any purchases. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Brooks Automation.
But note: Brooks Automation 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.
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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.
