Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the Independent Director, Wayne Rothbaum, recently bought a whopping US$65m worth of stock, at a price of US$6.50. That purchase boosted their holding by 124%, which makes us wonder if the move was inspired by quietly confident deeply-felt optimism.

Check out our latest analysis for Iovance Biotherapeutics

Iovance Biotherapeutics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Wayne Rothbaum is the biggest insider purchase of Iovance Biotherapeutics shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$6.92. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

Iovance Biotherapeutics insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 5.5% of Iovance Biotherapeutics shares, worth about US$60m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Iovance Biotherapeutics Insiders?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. 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. Insiders likely see value in Iovance Biotherapeutics shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). While we like knowing 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. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (1 can't be ignored!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Iovance Biotherapeutics.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.

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