Yahoo Finance How Many Brooks Automation, Inc. (NASDAQ:BRKS) Shares Have Insiders Sold, In The Last Year?
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We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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).
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. 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
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Brooks Automation
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the CEO, President & Director, Stephen Schwartz, sold US$2.9m worth of shares at a price of 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. This single sale was just 15.9% of Stephen Schwartz's stake.
Over the last year, we note insiders sold 314k shares worth US$9.7m. Brooks Automation insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. 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!
If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Brooks Automation Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Brooks Automation. Specifically, insiders ditched US$270k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.
Does Brooks Automation Boast High Insider Ownership?
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Brooks Automation insiders own about US$67m worth of shares. That equates to 2.5% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Brooks Automation Tell Us?
Insiders haven't bought Brooks Automation stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look to the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd think twice before buying! Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Brooks Automation.
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.
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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.
