We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. On the other hand, we’d be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:FLT).
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. 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’.
Check out our latest analysis for FLEETCOR Technologies
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At FLEETCOR Technologies
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the insider, David Krantz, for US$6.6m worth of shares, at about US$308 per share. While we don’t usually like to see insider selling, it’s more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. It’s of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$245. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.
FLEETCOR Technologies insiders didn’t buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
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FLEETCOR Technologies Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we’ve seen significant insider selling at FLEETCOR Technologies. In total, insider Eric Dey dumped US$1.4m worth of shares in that time, and we didn’t record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it’s hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.
Insider Ownership
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it’s a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. FLEETCOR Technologies insiders own about US$509m worth of shares (which is 2.3% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
So What Do The FLEETCOR Technologies Insider Transactions Indicate?
An insider hasn’t bought FLEETCOR Technologies stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren’t any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we’re a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it’s beneficial to identify the risks facing FLEETCOR Technologies. Case in point: We’ve spotted 2 warning signs for FLEETCOR Technologies you should be aware of.
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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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