Yahoo Finance George Milligan Bought 8.6% More Shares In West Bancorporation \
Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that George Milligan, the Independent Director of West Bancorporation, Inc. (NASDAQ:WTBA) recently shelled out US$80k to buy stock, at US$16.00 per share. However, it only increased their shares held by 8.6%, and it wasn't a huge purchase by absolute value, either.
Check out our latest analysis for West Bancorporation
West Bancorporation Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
In fact, the recent purchase by Independent Director George Milligan was not their only acquisition of West Bancorporation shares this year. Earlier in the year, they paid US$20.99 per share in a US$105k purchase. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$15.38. 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. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.
In the last twelve months West Bancorporation insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
West Bancorporation is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Insider Ownership
Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that West Bancorporation insiders own 4.4% of the company, worth about US$11m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About West Bancorporation Insiders?
The recent insider purchases are heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Insiders likely see value in West Bancorporation shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing West Bancorporation. While conducting our analysis, we found that West Bancorporation has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
