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Have Insiders Been Selling Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OESX) Shares?

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 before you buy or sell Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:OESX), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Selling?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. 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 Orion Energy Systems

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Orion Energy Systems

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the insider, Peter Kamin, for US$3.2m worth of shares, at about US$2.91 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$2.59. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern. Peter Kamin was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months. Notably Peter Kamin was also the biggest buyer, having purchased US$319k worth of shares.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 368k shares worth US$319k. But insiders sold 1.2m shares worth US$3.2m. 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!

NasdaqCM:OESX Recent Insider Trading, September 2nd 2019
NasdaqCM:OESX Recent Insider Trading, September 2nd 2019

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Orion Energy Systems Insiders Are Selling The Stock

There was substantially more insider selling, than buying, of Orion Energy Systems shares over the last three months. In total, Peter Kamin sold US$3.2m worth of shares in that time. On the flip side, insiders spent US$53k on purchasing shares. Since the selling really does outweigh the buying, we'd say that these transactions may suggest that some insiders feel the shares are not cheap.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Orion Energy Systems insiders own about US$14m worth of shares. That equates to 18% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Orion Energy Systems Insiders?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at Orion Energy Systems, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Orion Energy Systems.

But note: Orion Energy Systems 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, 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.

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