Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Bapcor Limited (ASX:BAP) CEO, MD & Director, Christopher Wilesmith, recently bought AU$77k worth of stock, for AU$0.77 per share. That purchase might not be huge but it did increase their holding by 20%.
Notably, that recent purchase by CEO, MD & Director Christopher Wilesmith was not the only time they bought Bapcor shares this year. Earlier in the year, they paid AU$0.76 per share in a AU$380k purchase. That implies that an insider found the current price of AU$0.79 per share to be enticing. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. Happily, the Bapcor insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.
While Bapcor insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. They paid about AU$0.90 on average. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and 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!
View our latest analysis for Bapcor
There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Our data suggests Bapcor insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about AU$1.5m. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.
It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that Bapcor insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Be aware that Bapcor is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is concerning...
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.