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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO).
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
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.
View our latest analysis for Bank of Montreal
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Bank of Montreal
Director George Cope made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$1.5m worth of shares at a price of CA$93.60 each. That implies that an insider found the current price of CA$96.86 per share to be enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. The good news for Bank of Montreal share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.
In the last twelve months Bank of Montreal insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Insiders at Bank of Montreal Have Bought Stock Recently
Over the last quarter, Bank of Montreal insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. We can see that Director Philip Orsino paid CA$917k for shares in the company. No-one sold. This could be interpreted as suggesting a positive outlook.
Does Bank of Montreal Boast High Insider Ownership?
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. Bank of Montreal insiders own about CA$38m worth of shares. That equates to 0.06% 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.