Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Robert James, the Independent Director of HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTBI) recently shelled out US$57k to buy stock, at US$22.81 per share. While we're hesitant to get too excited about a purchase of that size, we do note it increased their holding by a solid 22%.

See our latest analysis for HomeTrust Bancshares

HomeTrust Bancshares Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Robert James was the biggest purchase of HomeTrust Bancshares shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$23.49. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider bought shares at close to current prices. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Robert James.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

HomeTrust Bancshares 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.

Does HomeTrust Bancshares Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. HomeTrust Bancshares insiders own about US$16m worth of shares. That equates to 4.4% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Do The HomeTrust Bancshares Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest HomeTrust Bancshares insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in HomeTrust Bancshares, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.