It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we’ll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ).
What Is Insider Selling?
It’s quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We don’t think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, ‘insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.’
See our latest analysis for Umpqua Holdings
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Umpqua Holdings
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when Executive VP & CFO Ronald Farnsworth sold US$124k worth of shares at a price of US$21.45 per share. That is hardly a positive sign, even though it took place above the latest price (US$15.95). So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. Ronald Farnsworth was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
I will like Umpqua Holdings better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
Does Umpqua Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Umpqua Holdings insiders own about US$25m worth of shares (which is 0.7% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Umpqua Holdings Tell Us?
There haven’t been any insider transactions in the last three months — that doesn’t mean much. The insider transactions at Umpqua Holdings are not very heartening. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.