Need To Know: AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC) Insiders Have Been Buying Shares
We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in AGNC Investment Corp. (NASDAQ:AGNC).
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, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
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. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'.
View our latest analysis for AGNC Investment
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At AGNC Investment
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO, Chief Investment Officer & Director Gary Kain for US$2.4m worth of shares, at about US$12.60 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of US$17.36. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.
Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$2.6m for 204.82k shares. On the other hand they divested 11.88k shares, for US$174k. Overall, AGNC Investment 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. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
AGNC Investment 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.
Insiders at AGNC Investment Have Sold Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at AGNC Investment. In total, Senior Vice President of Non-Agency Portfolio Investments Aaron Pas dumped US$85k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.
Insider Ownership
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. AGNC Investment insiders own about US$73m worth of shares. That equates to 0.8% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.
So What Does This Data Suggest About AGNC Investment Insiders?
An insider hasn't bought AGNC Investment stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. On the other hand, the insider transactions over the last year are encouraging. We like that insiders own a fair amount of the company. So the recent selling doesn't worry us too much. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with AGNC Investment (including 2 which are a bit unpleasant).
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.
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. 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.
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