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Did LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) Insiders Buy Up More Shares?

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We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

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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.'

View our latest analysis for LyondellBasell Industries

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At LyondellBasell Industries

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Robin W. Buchanan bought US$443k worth of shares at a price of US$88.63 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$87.02 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Robin W. Buchanan was the only individual insider to buy over the year.

You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

NYSE:LYB Recent Insider Trading, May 6th 2019
NYSE:LYB Recent Insider Trading, May 6th 2019

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 0.1% of LyondellBasell Industries shares, worth about US$42m. 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 Do The LyondellBasell Industries Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded LyondellBasell Industries shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think LyondellBasell Industries insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in LyondellBasell Industries, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course LyondellBasell Industries may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.