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It is not uncommon to see companies perform well in the years after insiders buy shares. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Selling?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

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.'

Check out our latest analysis for AgroFresh Solutions

AgroFresh Solutions Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Director Gregory Freiwald for US$128k worth of shares, at about US$2.59 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$1.83 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

In the last twelve months insiders paid US$401k for 122k shares purchased. AgroFresh Solutions may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. Their average price was about US$3.29. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insiders at AgroFresh Solutions Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at AgroFresh Solutions. Not only was there no selling that we can see, but they collectively bought US$153k worth of shares. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does AgroFresh Solutions Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Based on our data, AgroFresh Solutions insiders have about 3.0% of the stock, worth approximately US$2.8m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At AgroFresh Solutions Tell Us?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. While the overall levels of insider ownership are below what we'd like to see, the history of transactions imply that AgroFresh Solutions insiders are reasonably well aligned, and optimistic for the future. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for AgroFresh Solutions.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body.

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.