Should You Be Worried About Insider Transactions At TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE:TBI)?
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. 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 before you buy or sell TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE:TBI), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.'
Check out our latest analysis for TrueBlue
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At TrueBlue
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Executive VP & CFO, Derrek Gafford, sold US$966k worth of shares at a price of US$24.69 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$21.45. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.
We note that in the last year insiders divested 128k shares for a total of US$2.9m. TrueBlue insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
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TrueBlue Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at TrueBlue. In total, insiders dumped US$727k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.
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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that TrueBlue insiders own 1.3% of the company, worth about US$11m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At TrueBlue Tell Us?
Insiders haven't bought TrueBlue stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that TrueBlue is growing earnings. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd think twice before buying! Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for TrueBlue.
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.
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.
