Sentinel Metals' AU$8.9m Market Cap Fall Books Insider Losses
Insiders who acquired AU$100.0k worth of Sentinel Metals Limited's (ASX:SNM) stock at an average price of AU$0.58 in the past 12 months may be dismayed by the recent 15% price decline. Insiders buy with the expectation to see their investments rise in value over a period of time. However, recent losses have rendered their above investment worth AU$86.2k which is not ideal.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Sentinel Metals
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Co-Founder & Independent Non-Executive Chairman Mark Williams for AU$100k worth of shares, at about AU$0.58 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$0.50. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Mark Williams.
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!
See our latest analysis for Sentinel Metals
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.
Insider Ownership
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. Insiders own 23% of Sentinel Metals shares, worth about AU$12m. 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 Does This Data Suggest About Sentinel Metals Insiders?
It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Sentinel Metals insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Sentinel Metals you should be aware of, and 1 of them is concerning.
Of course Sentinel Metals 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.
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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.