Have Insiders Been Buying American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ:AMWD) Shares?
We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in American Woodmark Corporation (NASDAQ:AMWD).
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
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 logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.'
See our latest analysis for American Woodmark
American Woodmark Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Chairman S. Dunston bought US$151k worth of shares at a price of US$60.53 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$88.40. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 5113 shares worth US$320k. But they sold 900 for US$94k. In total, American Woodmark insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
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.
Does American Woodmark Boast High Insider Ownership?
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It's great to see that American Woodmark insiders own 7.4% of the company, worth about US$111m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About American Woodmark Insiders?
It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded American Woodmark shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. With high insider ownership and encouraging transactions, it seems like American Woodmark insiders think the business has merit. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for American Woodmark.
Of course American Woodmark may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
