Read This Before Buying Lakeland Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAKE) Shares
We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Lakeland Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LAKE), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.
Do Insider Transactions Matter?
It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.
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.
See our latest analysis for Lakeland Industries
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Lakeland Industries
The Director, Thomas McAteer, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$62k worth of shares at a price of US$10.77 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$11.41, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 13% of Thomas McAteer's holding. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Thomas McAteer.
Thomas McAteer divested 6000 shares over the last 12 months at an average price of US$10.58. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From our data, it seems that Lakeland Industries insiders own 6.6% of the company, worth about US$6.0m. We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.
So What Do The Lakeland Industries Insider Transactions Indicate?
The fact that there have been no Lakeland Industries insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. The insider transactions at Lakeland Industries are not inspiring us to buy. And usually insiders own more stock in the company, according to our data. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.
Of course Lakeland Industries may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
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.
