Vir Biotechnology, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIR) shareholders might have a reason to worry after multiple insiders sold their shares over the last year. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

See our latest analysis for Vir Biotechnology

Vir Biotechnology Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Director, George Scangos, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$328k worth of shares at a price of US$25.97 each. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$9.61. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

Insiders in Vir Biotechnology didn't buy any shares in the last year. 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!

I will like Vir Biotechnology better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Vir Biotechnology Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Vir Biotechnology insiders own 5.2% of the company, worth about US$70m. 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 Vir Biotechnology Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Vir Biotechnology insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. We don't take much encouragement from the transactions by Vir Biotechnology insiders. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Vir Biotechnology, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Vir Biotechnology 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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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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.