Bullish Cassava Sciences Insiders Loaded Up On US$3.12m Of Stock
Quite a few insiders have dramatically grown their holdings in Cassava Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAVA) over the past 12 months. An insider's optimism about the company's prospects is a positive sign.
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.
View our latest analysis for Cassava Sciences
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Cassava Sciences
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Richard Barry for US$2.3m worth of shares, at about US$26.13 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$21.41. 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. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.
In the last twelve months Cassava Sciences insiders were buying shares, but not selling. They paid about US$22.75 on average. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
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).
Insider Ownership Of Cassava Sciences
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Cassava Sciences insiders own about US$88m worth of shares. That equates to 9.0% of the company. 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 Do The Cassava Sciences Insider Transactions Indicate?
The fact that there have been no Cassava Sciences insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Cassava Sciences and their transactions don't cause us concern. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Cassava Sciences (1 shouldn't be ignored!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.
But note: Cassava Sciences may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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 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.
