QUALCOMM Incorporated's (NASDAQ:QCOM)) market cap declines to US$127b but insiders who sold US$2.0m stock were able to hedge their losses
Insiders seem to have made the most of their holdings by selling US$2.0m worth of QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) stock at an average sell price of US$178 during the past year. After the stock price dropped 6.8% last week, the company's market value declined by US$9.2b, but insiders were able to mitigate their losses.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
See our latest analysis for QUALCOMM
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At QUALCOMM
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Chief Technology Officer of Qualcomm Technologies, James Thompson, sold US$1.8m worth of shares at a price of US$183 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$113. So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.
QUALCOMM insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership
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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. QUALCOMM insiders own about US$139m worth of shares (which is 0.1% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About QUALCOMM Insiders?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded QUALCOMM shares in the last quarter. It's heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we'd like to see more insider buying, since the last year of QUALCOMM insider transactions don't fill us with confidence. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we've found that QUALCOMM has 2 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.
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.
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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.
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