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We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So we’ll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF).

What Is Insider Selling?

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 don’t think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. As Peter Lynch said, ‘insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.’

Check out our latest analysis for Regions Financial

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Regions Financial

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by O. B. Hall for US$3.7m worth of shares, at about US$19.34 per share. That is hardly a positive sign, even though it took place above the latest price (US$13.53). So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.

Over the last year, we note insiders sold 547.22k shares worth US$10m. All up, insiders sold more shares in Regions Financial than they bought, over the last year. They sold for an average price of about US$19.00. Insider selling doesn’t make us excited to buy. However, we do note that the average sale price was significantly higher than the current share price (which is US$13.53). You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

I will like Regions Financial better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Regions Financial 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 Regions Financial insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about US$45m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it’s enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Regions Financial Tell Us?

There haven’t been any insider transactions in the last three months — that doesn’t mean much. Still, the insider transactions at Regions Financial in the last 12 months are not very heartening. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Regions Financial, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Regions Financial may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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.