Yahoo Finance Possible bearish signals as Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) insiders disposed of US$26m worth of stock
The fact that multiple Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying versus if they selling is usually more beneficial, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, when multiple insiders sell stock over a specific duration, shareholders should take notice as that could possibly be a red flag.
Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
Check out our latest analysis for Blackstone
Blackstone Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Chief Legal Officer, John Finley, for US$5.4m worth of shares, at about US$108 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$88.52. So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 22.87k shares for US$2.5m. But they sold 205.02k shares for US$26m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Blackstone shares, than buying. 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!
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Insiders At Blackstone Have Sold Stock Recently
There was substantially more insider selling, than buying, of Blackstone shares over the last three months. In that time, Chief Legal Officer John Finley dumped US$5.4m worth of shares. On the flip side, insider Ruth Porat spent US$14k on purchasing shares. Since the selling really does outweigh the buying, we'd say that these transactions may suggest that some insiders feel the company has been fully valued in recent months.
Does Blackstone Boast High Insider Ownership?
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Blackstone insiders own about US$153m worth of shares (which is 0.1% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.
So What Do The Blackstone Insider Transactions Indicate?
The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at Blackstone, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Blackstone.
But note: Blackstone may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.
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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.
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