Insiders who bought UK£298k worth of Moonpig Group PLC's (LON:MOON) stock at an average buy price of UK£2.92 over the last year may be disappointed by the recent 5.5% decrease in the stock. Insiders buy with the expectation to see their investments rise in value over a period of time. However, recent losses have rendered their above investment worth UK£234k which is not ideal.

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.

Check out our latest analysis for Moonpig Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Moonpig Group

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Chairman of the Board Kate Swann for UK£199k worth of shares, at about UK£2.87 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK£2.29). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Moonpig Group 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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Moonpig Group insiders own 2.2% of the company, worth about UK£17m. 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 Does This Data Suggest About Moonpig Group Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Moonpig Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Moonpig Group. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Moonpig Group and understanding these should be part of your investment process.