Some Matson, Inc. (NYSE:MATX) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Executive Vice President of Operations at Walnut Creek, Vicente Angoco, recently sold a substantial US$511k worth of stock at a price of US$223 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 15% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Executive VP, Peter Heilmann, sold US$2.2m worth of shares at a price of US$165 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$224, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 32% of Peter Heilmann's holding.
In the last year Matson insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
See our latest analysis for Matson
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
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. Matson insiders own 2.4% of the company, currently worth about US$158m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.
Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that Matson is growing earnings. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Matson. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Matson and we suggest you have a look.
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 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.