Yahoo Finance Have Insiders Been Selling NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) Shares This Year?
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and receive a $20 prize!
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we’d be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So we’ll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in NetApp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It’s quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. 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.’
See our latest analysis for NetApp
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At NetApp
Executive VP & General Manager Joel Reich made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$2.0m worth of shares at a price of US$78.04 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$65.44. While their view may have changed since the sale, this is not a particularly positive fact. Arguably, insider selling at around current prices should give us reason to reflect on whether the stock is fully valued at the moment. Joel Reich was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
Joel Reich divested 62.27k shares over the last 12 months at an average price of US$75.10. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Insider Ownership of NetApp
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. NetApp insiders own about US$18m worth of shares. That equates to 0.1% 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.
What Might The Insider Transactions At NetApp Tell Us?
The fact that there have been no NetApp insider transactions recently certainly doesn’t bother us. Still, the insider transactions at NetApp in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But it’s good to see that insiders own shares in the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for NetApp.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.
