How Many Unity Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNTY) Shares Have Insiders Sold, In The Last Year?
Want to participate in a research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $60 gift card!
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 Unity Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:UNTY), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Buying?
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.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. 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 Unity Bancorp
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Unity Bancorp
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the President, James Hughes, for US$86k worth of shares, at about US$23.05 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$20.09. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take price 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). Notably James Hughes was also the biggest buyer, having purchased US$20k worth of shares.
In total, Unity Bancorp insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
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).
Unity Bancorp Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider selling at Unity Bancorp. Director Wayne Courtright sold just US$35k worth of shares in that time. It's not great to see insider selling, nor the lack of recent buyers. But the volume sold is so low that it really doesn't bother us.
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. Insiders own 12% of Unity Bancorp shares, worth about US$27m. 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 Unity Bancorp Insiders?
Our data shows a little more insider selling, but no insider buying, in the last three months. But given the selling was modest, we're not worried. We're a little cautious about the insider selling at Unity Bancorp. But we do like the fact that insiders own a fair chunk of the company. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Unity Bancorp, 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.
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.
