Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Gooch & Housego PLC (LON:GHH), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Gooch & Housego

Gooch & Housego Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Chairman Gary Bullard for UK£61k worth of shares, at about UK£4.05 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK£5.60. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.

Gooch & Housego insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. Their average price was about UK£5.03. It is certainly positive to see that insiders have invested their own money in the company. But we must note that the investments were made at well below today's share price. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Gooch & Housego is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Gooch & Housego 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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Our data isn't picking up on much insider ownership at Gooch & Housego, though insiders do hold about UK£283k worth of shares. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. It's always possible we are missing something but from our data, it looks like insider ownership is minimal.

So What Do The Gooch & Housego Insider Transactions Indicate?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Gooch & Housego insiders are doubting 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 - Gooch & Housego has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Gooch & Housego 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.

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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