Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Ascent Industries Co. (NASDAQ:ACNT) President, Christopher Hutter, recently bought US$54k worth of stock, for US$10.76 per share. However, it only increased their shares held by 2.4%, and it wasn't a huge purchase by absolute value, either.

View our latest analysis for Ascent Industries

Ascent Industries Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Henry Guy for US$1.3m worth of shares, at about US$14.52 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$11.01). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

Ascent Industries insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Ascent Industries 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 Of Ascent Industries

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Ascent Industries insiders own about US$9.3m worth of shares (which is 8.2% of the company). Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Ascent Industries Insiders?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on Ascent Industries stock. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Ascent Industries. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 is a bit concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Ascent Industries.

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.

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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.