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Are Insiders Buying Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (CVE:KHRN) Stock?

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 Khiron Life Sciences Corp. (CVE:KHRN), 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, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.'

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Check out our latest analysis for Khiron Life Sciences

Khiron Life Sciences Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when President Chris Naprawa bought CA$1.1m worth of shares at a price of CA$3.43 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of CA$3.04. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Notably Chris Naprawa was also the biggest seller, having sold CA$25k worth of shares.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 1.3m shares worth CA$1.3m. On the other hand they divested 15000 shares, for CA$25k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Khiron Life Sciences insiders. The average buy price was around CA$1.07. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today's levels. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

TSXV:KHRN Recent Insider Trading, May 25th 2019
TSXV:KHRN Recent Insider Trading, May 25th 2019

Khiron Life Sciences is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insiders at Khiron Life Sciences Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Khiron Life Sciences insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Specifically, Chris Naprawa bought CA$1.1m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This could be interpreted as suggesting a positive outlook.

Does Khiron Life Sciences Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company 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. Khiron Life Sciences insiders own about CA$26m worth of shares. That equates to 9.3% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Khiron Life Sciences Insiders?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Khiron Life Sciences insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

Of course Khiron Life Sciences 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.