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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSEMKT:BHB).
What Is Insider Selling?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a 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 it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'.
View our latest analysis for Bar Harbor Bankshares
Bar Harbor Bankshares Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Director Scott Toothaker bought US$102k worth of shares at a price of US$20.36 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$22.10. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. Happily, the Bar Harbor Bankshares insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.
While Bar Harbor Bankshares insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
Bar Harbor Bankshares 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.
Insider Ownership of Bar Harbor Bankshares
Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 2.9% of Bar Harbor Bankshares shares, worth about US$9.5m, according to our data. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Bar Harbor Bankshares Tell Us?
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Bar Harbor Bankshares stock. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow for free.