Yahoo Finance Possible bearish signals as Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) insiders disposed of US$1.9m worth of stock
In the last year, many Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
View our latest analysis for Chevron
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Chevron
In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Director, Enrique Hernandez, sold US$1.3m worth of shares at a price of US$164 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$178. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. 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. We note that the biggest single sale was only 44% of Enrique Hernandez's holding.
In the last year Chevron insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
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Chevron Insiders Are Selling The Stock
Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at Chevron. In total, Independent Director Alice Gast dumped US$486k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.
Insider Ownership Of Chevron
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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Chevron insiders own 0.04% of the company, currently worth about US$147m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Chevron Insiders?
An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But since Chevron is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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. When we did our research, we found 2 warning signs for Chevron (1 is concerning!) that we believe deserve your full attention.
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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.
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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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