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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So we’ll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in ASM International NV (AMS:ASM).
What Is Insider Selling?
It’s quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
We don’t think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. 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.’
See our latest analysis for ASM International
ASM International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Chairman of the Management Board Charles del Prado made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for €3.8m worth of shares at a price of €39.44 each. That implies that an insider found the current (approximate) price enticing. Of course they may have changed their mind. But this suggests they are optimistic. In any event it’s generally a positive if insiders are buying shares at around the current price. Notably Charles del Prado was also the biggest seller, having sold €4.9m worth of shares.
In the last twelve months insiders purchased 179.67k shares for €6.8m. But they sold 128.89k for €4.9m. In total, ASM International insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. They paid about €37.64 on average. It’s great to see insiders putting their own cash into the company’s stock, albeit at below the recent share price (€45.50). You can see the insider transactions (by 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!
I will like ASM International better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.
Insider Ownership of ASM International
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. Insiders own 1.7% of ASM International shares, worth about €39m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it’s enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.