Have Insiders Been Buying The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS) Shares?
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.'
Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Nova Scotia
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Bank of Nova Scotia
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when President Brian Porter bought CA$511k worth of shares at a price of CA$73.00 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of CA$74.97 per share to be enticing. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. 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. The good news for Bank of Nova Scotia share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.
Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid CA$2.2m for 30413 shares. But insiders sold 546 shares worth CA$41k. Overall, Bank of Nova Scotia insiders were net buyers last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
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.
Insiders at Bank of Nova Scotia Have Bought Stock Recently
It's good to see that Bank of Nova Scotia insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. In total, insiders bought CA$352k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence.
Does Bank of Nova Scotia Boast High Insider Ownership?
Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Bank of Nova Scotia insiders own 0.03% of the company, worth about CA$28m. 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 Bank of Nova Scotia Insider Transactions Indicate?
The recent insider purchases are heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Bank of Nova Scotia we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Bank of Nova Scotia, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
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, but not derivative transactions.
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.
