When a single insider purchases stock, it is typically not a major deal. However, when multiple insiders purchase stock, like in Chesapeake Energy Corporation's (NASDAQ:CHK) instance, it's good news for shareholders.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
See our latest analysis for Chesapeake Energy
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Chesapeake Energy
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman of the Board Michael Wichterich for US$416k worth of shares, at about US$85.70 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (US$98.24), we still think insider buying is a positive. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.
Chesapeake Energy insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
Chesapeake Energy is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership Of Chesapeake Energy
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Chesapeake Energy insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about US$24m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Chesapeake Energy Insiders?
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Chesapeake Energy and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Our analysis shows 5 warning signs for Chesapeake Energy (1 is potentially serious!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.