We wouldn't blame Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASO) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Brian Marley, the Independent Director recently netted about US$556k selling shares at an average price of US$53.25. That sale reduced their total holding by 24% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.
In fact, the recent sale by Independent Director Brian Marley was not their only sale of Academy Sports and Outdoors shares this year. Earlier in the year, they fetched US$55.84 per share in a -US$1.1m sale. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$50.42. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.
In the last year Academy Sports and Outdoors insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
Check out our latest analysis for Academy Sports and Outdoors
If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Academy Sports and Outdoors insiders own about US$48m worth of shares. That equates to 1.5% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.
Insiders haven't bought Academy Sports and Outdoors stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that Academy Sports and Outdoors is growing earnings. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! Therefore, you should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Academy Sports and Outdoors.
Of course Academy Sports and Outdoors may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.