We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. 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 Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (ASX:CCL).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. 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 Coca-Cola Amatil

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Coca-Cola Amatil

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Non-Executive Director Penelope Winn bought AU$170k worth of shares at a price of AU$9.28 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of AU$13.47. 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.

Coca-Cola Amatil insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The average buy price was around AU$6.84. We don't deny that it is nice to see insiders buying stock in the company. But we must note that the investments were made at well below today's share price. 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!

Coca-Cola Amatil is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Coca-Cola Amatil 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Coca-Cola Amatil insiders own 0.2% of the company, worth about AU$24m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Coca-Cola Amatil Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Coca-Cola Amatil insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Coca-Cola Amatil and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 4 warning signs with Coca-Cola Amatil and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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 currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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