Even though Oxford Industries, Inc. (NYSE:OXM) has fallen by 4.8% over the past week , insiders who sold US$1.4m worth of stock over the past year have had less luck. Insiders would probably have been better off holding on to their shares given that the average selling price of US$92.38 is still lower than 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.

View our latest analysis for Oxford Industries

Oxford Industries Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Director, Stephen Lanier, sold US$398k worth of shares at a price of US$88.52 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$98.36, 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. It is worth noting that this sale was only 3.6% of Stephen Lanier's holding.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 3.00k shares worth US$295k. But they sold 14.68k shares for US$1.4m. All up, insiders sold more shares in Oxford Industries than they bought, over the last year. 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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insiders At Oxford Industries Have Sold Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen notably more insider selling, than insider buying, at Oxford Industries. In that time, insiders dumped US$942k worth of shares. On the flip side, Independent Director Carol Yancey spent US$46k on purchasing shares. Generally this level of net selling might be considered a bit bearish.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Oxford Industries insiders own about US$54m worth of shares. That equates to 3.5% of the company. 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 Oxford Industries Insiders?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Oxford Industries stock, than buying, in the last three months. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. On the plus side, Oxford Industries makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We're in no rush to buy! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Oxford Industries that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

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.