Yahoo Finance SEMAFO Inc. (TSE:SMF) Insiders Have Been Selling
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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 SEMAFO Inc. (TSE:SMF), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
What Is Insider Buying?
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.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. 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.'
View our latest analysis for SEMAFO
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At SEMAFO
The Chief Financial Officer, Martin Milette, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$288k worth of shares at a price of CA$4.82 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of CA$5.08. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was 83.4% of Martin Milette's holding.
Over the last year, we note insiders sold 104k shares worth CA$498k. SEMAFO insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
SEMAFO Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at SEMAFO. In total, insiders dumped US$498k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.
Insider Ownership
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Based on our data, SEMAFO insiders have about 0.2% of the stock, worth approximately CA$3.4m. We consider this fairly low insider ownership.
What Might The Insider Transactions At SEMAFO Tell Us?
Insiders sold SEMAFO shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. When you consider that most companies have higher levels of insider ownership, we're a little wary. As the saying goes, only fools rush in. 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, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body.
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.
