Investors who take an interest in Fastenal Company (NASDAQ:FAST) should definitely note that the President, Daniel Florness, recently paid US$47.85 per share to buy US$239k worth of the stock. While that's a very decent purchase to our minds, it was proportionally a bit modest, boosting their holding by just 1.7%.

See our latest analysis for Fastenal

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Fastenal

Notably, that recent purchase by Daniel Florness is the biggest insider purchase of Fastenal shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$47.36. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 14.75k shares worth US$739k. On the other hand they divested 458.00 shares, for US$27k. In total, Fastenal insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Fastenal is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Fastenal Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 0.3% of Fastenal shares, worth about US$94m. 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 Fastenal Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Fastenal we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For example - Fastenal has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Fastenal 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.