Insiders who acquired AU$206k worth of Orora Limited's (ASX:ORA) stock at an average price of AU$3.75 in the past 12 months may be dismayed by the recent 8.6% price decline. This is not good as insiders invest based on expectations that their money will appreciate over time. However, as a result of recent losses, their original investment is now worth only AU$182k.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

View our latest analysis for Orora

Orora Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Director Michael Fraser for AU$206k worth of shares, at about AU$3.75 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of AU$3.30. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Michael Fraser.

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!

Orora 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 Orora Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Our data indicates that Orora insiders own about AU$8.4m worth of shares (which is 0.3% of the company). Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Orora Insiders?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Orora insiders are expecting 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. Our analysis shows 2 warning signs for Orora (1 is potentially serious!) and we strongly recommend you look at these before investing.