Favourable Signals For Agenus: Numerous Insiders Acquired Stock
Usually, when one insider buys stock, it might not be a monumental event. But when multiple insiders are buying like they did in the case of Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders.
While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
Check out our latest analysis for Agenus
Agenus Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Notably, that recent purchase by Garo Armen is the biggest insider purchase of Agenus shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$0.66. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. Happily, the Agenus insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.
In the last twelve months Agenus insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
Agenus is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Agenus Insiders Bought Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at Agenus. We can see that Founder Garo Armen paid US$324k for shares in the company. No-one sold. This could be interpreted as suggesting a positive outlook.
Insider Ownership Of Agenus
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. Our data suggests Agenus insiders own 1.1% of the company, worth about US$2.8m. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Agenus Insiders?
The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that Agenus insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Agenus. To help with this, we've discovered 5 warning signs (1 is significant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Agenus.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
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.
