Need To Know: Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT) Insiders Have Been Selling Shares
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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT).
What Is Insider Buying?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.
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 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'.
View our latest analysis for Chatham Lodging Trust
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Chatham Lodging Trust
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the , C. Goldsmith, for US$65k worth of shares, at about US$19.67 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$19.20. 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. C. Goldsmith was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
C. Goldsmith ditched 5100 shares over the year. The average price per share was US$20.37. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).
Insider Ownership of Chatham Lodging Trust
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 2.3% of Chatham Lodging Trust shares, worth about US$21m. 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 Chatham Lodging Trust Insider Transactions Indicate?
An insider hasn't bought Chatham Lodging Trust stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look to the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd think twice before buying! Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Chatham Lodging Trust, 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.
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