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Sempra's (NYSE:SRE) stock has dropped to US$162, but insiders may have sold too soon at a price of only US$144 a share

Sempra's (NYSE:SRE) stock price has dropped 4.0% in the previous week, but insiders who sold US$370k in stock over the past year have had less luck. Insiders might have been better off holding onto their shares, given that the average selling price of US$144 is still below the current share price.

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.

Check out our latest analysis for Sempra

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Sempra

The Senior VP, Peter Wall, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$370k worth of shares at a price of US$144 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$162). 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. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 27% of Peter Wall's stake. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Peter Wall.

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The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

insider-trading-volume
insider-trading-volume

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Sempra Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Sempra insiders own 0.02% of the company, worth about US$17m. 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 Sempra Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Sempra insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. We don't take much encouragement from the transactions by Sempra insiders. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in the company. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example, Sempra has 5 warning signs (and 3 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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