Yahoo Finance Esken Limited's (LON:ESKN) recent UK£17m market cap decline means a loss of UK£65k for insiders who bought this year
The recent price decline of 15% in Esken Limited's (LON:ESKN) stock may have disappointed insiders who bought UK£228k worth of shares at an average price of UK£0.14 in the past 12 months. Insiders purchase with the hope of seeing their investments increase in value over time. However, due to recent losses, their initial investment is now only worth UK£163k, which is not great.
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.
View our latest analysis for Esken
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Esken
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Executive Chairman David James Shearer bought UK£100k worth of shares at a price of UK£0.14 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK£0.10). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.
Esken insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and 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!
Esken is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Does Esken Boast High Insider Ownership?
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 5.3% of Esken shares, worth about UK£5.4m, according to our data. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!
What Might The Insider Transactions At Esken Tell Us?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Esken shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Esken insiders bought more shares in the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. For example, Esken has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.
Of course Esken may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
