Yahoo Finance Should You Be Worried About Insider Transactions At LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RAMP)?
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!
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 LiveRamp Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RAMP).
What Is Insider Buying?
Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. 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 it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.
See our latest analysis for LiveRamp Holdings
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At LiveRamp Holdings
The President & Chief Commercial Officer, James Arra, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$5.6m worth of shares at a price of US$52.54 each. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$52.04. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take price at a lower price. 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.
We note that in the last year insiders divested 241k shares for a total of US$12m. In the last year LiveRamp Holdings insiders didn't buy any company stock. 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!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
LiveRamp Holdings Insiders Are Selling The Stock
The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of LiveRamp Holdings shares. In total, Gerald Jones sold US$873k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all.
Does LiveRamp Holdings Boast High 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. LiveRamp Holdings insiders own 6.4% of the company, currently worth about US$229m based on the recent share price. 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 LiveRamp Holdings Insider Transactions Indicate?
An insider sold LiveRamp Holdings shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in LiveRamp Holdings, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
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.
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.
