A Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) insider increased their holdings by 97% last year
Insiders were net buyers of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's (NYSE:ACRE ) stock during the past year. That is, insiders bought more stock than they sold.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
See our latest analysis for Ares Commercial Real Estate
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ares Commercial Real Estate
The Partner William Benjamin made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$253k worth of shares at a price of US$14.05 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$11.70 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. 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 William Benjamin.
The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Insiders At Ares Commercial Real Estate Have Sold Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Ares Commercial Real Estate. In total, insiders sold US$199k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.
Insider Ownership Of Ares Commercial Real Estate
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Ares Commercial Real Estate insiders own about US$18m worth of shares. That equates to 2.9% 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.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Ares Commercial Real Estate Tell Us?
Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. But we take heart from prior transactions. We like that insiders own a fair amount of the company. So we're happy enough to look past some selling. 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Ares Commercial Real Estate (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.
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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