Insiders who bought Crescent Energy Company (NYSE:CRGY) stock in the last 12 months were richly rewarded last week. The company's market value increased by US$204m as a result of the stock's 17% gain over the same period. As a result, the stock they originally bought for US$956.0k is now worth US$1.06m.

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.

Crescent Energy Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The CEO & Director David Rockecharlie made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$226k worth of shares at a price of US$11.32 each. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$12.32 per share to be enticing. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. Happily, the Crescent Energy insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Crescent Energy insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Have Crescent Energy Insiders Traded Recently?

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at Crescent Energy. CFO, Investor Relations & Director Brandi Kendall shelled out US$5.4k for shares in that time. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Crescent Energy insiders own about US$65m worth of shares. That equates to 3.0% 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 Crescent Energy Insiders?

We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Crescent Energy insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. 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 instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Crescent Energy (2 don't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

Of course Crescent Energy may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.