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Have Insiders Been Selling MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) Shares This Year?

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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.'

See our latest analysis for MKS Instruments

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At MKS Instruments

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Independent Director, Peter Hanley, for US$117k worth of shares, at about US$94.39 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$85.84. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

In the last twelve months insiders netted US$355k for 3389 shares sold. Insiders in MKS Instruments didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by 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!

NasdaqGS:MKSI Recent Insider Trading, May 9th 2019
NasdaqGS:MKSI Recent Insider Trading, May 9th 2019

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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 MKS Instruments insiders own 1.1% of the company, worth about US$53m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At MKS Instruments Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of MKS Instruments insider transactions leaves us cautious. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in MKS Instruments, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course MKS Instruments may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

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.

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