Did Freehill Mining Limited (ASX:FHS) Insiders Buy Up More Shares?
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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. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Freehill Mining Limited (ASX:FHS), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Selling?
Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.
See our latest analysis for Freehill Mining
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Freehill Mining
Non Executive Director Samuel Duddy made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$706k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.063 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$0.015). 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 Samuel Duddy.
Samuel Duddy bought a total of 13.4m shares over the year at an average price of AU$0.057. 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.
Insider Ownership of Freehill Mining
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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Freehill Mining insiders own about AU$3.0m worth of shares. That equates to 23% 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 Freehill Mining Tell Us?
Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Freehill Mining and their transactions don't cause us concern. Along with insider transactions, I recommend checking if Freehill Mining is growing revenue. This free chart of historic revenue and earnings should make that easy.
But note: Freehill Mining 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 aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
