Yahoo Finance Read This Before Selling American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AXL) Shares
We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AXL).
What Is Insider Buying?
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 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 American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Chairman & CEO David Dauch bought US$1.0m worth of shares at a price of US$11.47 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$7.97 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 143825 shares for US$1.7m. On the other hand they divested 29909 shares, for US$467k. In total, American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, 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.
Does American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Boast High 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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings insiders own 1.4% of the company, worth about US$12m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Tell Us?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings and their transactions don't cause us concern. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
Of course American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
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.
