Yahoo Finance Insiders At Agilent Technologies Sold US$6.4m In Stock, Alluding To Potential Weakness
In the last year, many Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.
Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.
Check out our latest analysis for Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Senior VP and President of Order Fulfillment & Supply Chain, Henrik Ancher-Jensen, for US$2.0m worth of shares, at about US$138 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$131. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.
In the last year Agilent Technologies insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and 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!
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insiders At Agilent Technologies Have Sold Stock Recently
The last three months saw significant insider selling at Agilent Technologies. In total, insiders sold US$2.4m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.
Insider Ownership Of Agilent Technologies
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. It's great to see that Agilent Technologies insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about US$108m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Agilent Technologies Tell Us?
Insiders haven't bought Agilent Technologies stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For example - Agilent Technologies has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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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