When a single insider purchases stock, it is typically not a major deal. However, when multiple insiders purchase stock, like in essensys plc's (LON:ESYS) instance, it's good news for shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for essensys

essensys Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Founder Mark Furness for UK£261k worth of shares, at about UK£0.76 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK£0.66 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid UK£458k for 506.86k shares. But insiders sold 34.50k shares worth UK£100k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by essensys insiders. Their average price was about UK£0.90. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. 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! insider-trading-volume

essensys is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this freelist of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. essensys insiders own about UK£14m worth of shares. That equates to 33% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.



What Might The Insider Transactions At essensys Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think essensys insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Be aware that essensys is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is concerning...

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this freelist 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.

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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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