Yahoo Finance As United Parcel Service, Inc.'s (NYSE:UPS)) market cap dropped by US$8.5b, insiders who sold US$2.5m worth of stock were able to offset their losses
Insiders at United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) sold US$2.5m worth of stock at an average price of US$192 a share over the past year, making the most of their investment. The company’s market cap plunged by US$8.5b after price dropped by 5.3% last week but insiders were able to limit their loss to an extent.
While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
View our latest analysis for United Parcel Service
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At United Parcel Service
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Executive VP & Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Warren, for US$2.5m worth of shares, at about US$192 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$175. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Kevin Warren.
You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Does United Parcel Service Boast High Insider Ownership?
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that United Parcel Service insiders own 0.05% of the company, worth about US$79m. 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 Do The United Parcel Service Insider Transactions Indicate?
The fact that there have been no United Parcel Service insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. Still, the insider transactions at United Parcel Service in the last 12 months are not very heartening. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. 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 that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with United Parcel Service (including 1 which doesn't sit too well with us).
But note: United Parcel Service 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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