Many Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY) insiders ditched their stock over the past year, which may be of interest to the company's shareholders. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

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Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO & Director, Yvonne Greenstreet, for US$1.9m worth of shares, at about US$235 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$277). We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. We note that the biggest single sale was only 13% of Yvonne Greenstreet's holding.

In the last year Alnylam Pharmaceuticals insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Check out our latest analysis for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Insiders Are Selling The Stock

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. Specifically, insiders ditched US$3.0m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all.

Does Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Boast High 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. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals insiders own 0.4% of the company, currently worth about US$126m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.