Interim CEO of John Wiley & Sons Matthew Kissner Buys 90% More Shares
Those following along with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE:WLY) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Matthew Kissner, Interim CEO of the company, who spent a stonking US$502k on stock at an average price of US$30.33. That increased their holding by a full 90%, which arguably implies the sort of confidence required for a shy sweet-natured nerd to ask the most popular kid in the school to go out on a date.
View our latest analysis for John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Notably, that recent purchase by Matthew Kissner is the biggest insider purchase of John Wiley & Sons shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$31.07. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. 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. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 24.63k shares for US$749k. On the other hand they divested 17.55k shares, for US$734k. Overall, John Wiley & Sons insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
John Wiley & Sons is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Does John Wiley & Sons 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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. John Wiley & Sons insiders own about US$125m worth of shares (which is 7.3% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.
So What Do The John Wiley & Sons Insider Transactions Indicate?
It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Once you factor in the high insider ownership, it certainly seems like insiders are positive about John Wiley & Sons. Nice! So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for John Wiley & Sons that deserve your attention before buying any shares.
But note: John Wiley & Sons 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 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.
