Even though Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:APLS) has fallen by 15% over the past week , insiders who sold US$7.9m worth of stock over the past year have had less luck. Given that the average selling price of US$60.47 is still lower than the current share price, insiders would probably have been better off keeping their shares.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Apellis Pharmaceuticals

The Co-Founder, Cedric Francois, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$873k worth of shares at a price of US$65.00 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$48.03. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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).

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Insiders Are Selling The Stock

The last three months saw significant insider selling at Apellis Pharmaceuticals. In total, insiders sold US$4.8m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Apellis Pharmaceuticals insiders own 3.6% of the company, currently worth about US$228m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Apellis Pharmaceuticals Insiders?

Insiders sold Apellis Pharmaceuticals shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example - Apellis Pharmaceuticals has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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 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.