We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand,fpz s.p.a. we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So before you buy or sell

Camden National Corporation

(

NASDAQ:CAC

), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

What Is Insider Selling?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock in the company. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University

study

found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for Camden National

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Camden National

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the President, Gregory Dufour, sold US$54k worth of shares at a price of US$43.50 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$46.06, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. It is worth noting that this sale was only 1.4% of Gregory Dufour's holding. Gregory Dufour was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months. Notably Gregory Dufour was also the biggest buyer, having purchased US$105k worth of shares.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 3.20k shares worth US$105k. But they sold 1250 for US$54k. In total, Camden National insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

NasdaqGS:CAC Recent Insider Trading, January 1st 2020

Camden National is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find

winning investments

this

free

list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Camden National insiders own 2.4% of the company, worth about US$17m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Camden National Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Camden National insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Camden National and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this

free

report showing analyst forecasts for its future

.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this

free

list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at

[email protected]

. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.

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