Insiders who acquired AU$1.5m worth of Alto Metals Limited's (ASX:AME) stock at an average price of AU$0.09 in the past 12 months may be dismayed by the recent 14% price decline. Insiders purchase with the hope of seeing their investments increase in value over time. However, due to recent losses, their initial investment is now only worth AU$1.0m, which is not great.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for Alto Metals

Alto Metals Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Non-Executive Director Terence Wheeler made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$1.3m worth of shares at a price of AU$0.09 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$0.06). 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. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Alto Metals insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Alto Metals 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

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 Alto Metals insiders own 24% of the company, worth about AU$7.6m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Alto Metals Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Alto Metals insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Alto Metals and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Alto Metals. For instance, we've identified 6 warning signs for Alto Metals (3 don't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.