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 shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Convatec Group Plc (LON:CTEC).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. 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 Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

Check out our latest analysis for Convatec Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Convatec Group

CFO & Director Frank Schulkes made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK£231k worth of shares at a price of UK£1.40 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK£1.85. 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.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid UK£486k for 340500 shares. But insiders sold 165000 shares worth UK£231k. Overall, Convatec Group insiders were net buyers 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!

Convatec Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership of Convatec Group

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. Convatec Group insiders own about UK£18m worth of shares. That equates to 0.5% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Convatec Group Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Convatec Group shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Convatec Group and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Convatec Group, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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.