Multiple insiders secured a larger position in Ziff Davis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZD) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ziff Davis

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO, President & Director Vivek Shah for US$589k worth of shares, at about US$58.86 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$54.97 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 13.78k shares worth US$815k. On the other hand they divested 4.16k shares, for US$289k. In total, Ziff Davis insiders bought more than they sold 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!

Ziff Davis is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insiders At Ziff Davis Have Sold Stock Recently

The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Ziff Davis shares. In total, Executive VP Jeremy Rossen dumped US$289k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.

Insider Ownership Of Ziff Davis

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Ziff Davis insiders own about US$35m worth of shares. That equates to 1.4% of the company. 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 Ziff Davis Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought Ziff Davis stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. In contrast, they appear keener if you look at the last twelve months. It's good to see insiders are shareholders. So we're not overly bothered by recent selling. 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 3 warning signs for Ziff Davis that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.