Yahoo Finance Need To Know: Metro Bank PLC (LON:MTRO) Insiders Have Been Buying Shares
It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Metro Bank PLC (LON:MTRO).
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 would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. 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'.
Check out our latest analysis for Metro Bank
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Metro Bank
The CEO & Director Daniel Frumkin made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK£1.1m worth of shares at a price of UK£0.60 each. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of UK£1.16. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.
While Metro Bank insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and 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!
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Metro Bank Insiders Bought Stock Recently
Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at Metro Bank. Chairman of the Board Robert Sharpe purchased UK£20k worth of shares in that period. We like it when there are only buyers, and no sellers. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.
Insider Ownership of Metro Bank
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. Insiders own 4.6% of Metro Bank shares, worth about UK£9.1m. 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 Metro Bank Insiders?
Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. That said, the purchases were not large. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Metro Bank insiders are doubting the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Metro Bank and we suggest you have a look.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
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.
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. 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
