Quite a few insiders have dramatically grown their holdings in Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited (HKG:968) over the past 12 months. An insider's optimism about the company's prospects is a positive sign.

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 Xinyi Solar Holdings

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Xinyi Solar Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Non-Executive Director Yin Yee Lee bought HK$11m worth of shares at a price of HK$5.63 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being HK$4.04). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

Xinyi Solar Holdings 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 want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Xinyi Solar Holdings 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.

Insiders At Xinyi Solar Holdings Have Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Xinyi Solar Holdings insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. In total, insiders bought HK$14m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. That shows some optimism about the company's future.

Insider Ownership Of Xinyi Solar Holdings

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. Xinyi Solar Holdings insiders own about HK$9.4b worth of shares (which is 26% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Xinyi Solar Holdings Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Xinyi Solar Holdings. One for the watchlist, at least! 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 Xinyi Solar Holdings that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

But note: Xinyi Solar Holdings 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.