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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. 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 we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (NYSE:BAH).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.'
View our latest analysis for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding
Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
The Chief Accounting Officer, Laura Adams, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$51k worth of shares at a price of US$65.63 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$76.58, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 44.1% of Laura Adams's stake. Laura Adams was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.
You can see the insider transactions (by 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!
I will like Booz Allen Hamilton Holding better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
Insider Ownership of Booz Allen Hamilton Holding
I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Booz Allen Hamilton Holding insiders own about US$248m worth of shares (which is 2.3% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.