We wouldn't blame Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Gregory Willis, the Executive VP & CFO recently netted about US$564k selling shares at an average price of US$50.06. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 17%, which is notable but not too bad.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Air Lease

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO, President & Director, John Plueger, for US$2.8m worth of shares, at about US$40.27 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$48.93, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 8.4% of John Plueger's holding.

In total, Air Lease insiders sold more than they bought 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!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Insider Ownership Of Air Lease

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Air Lease insiders own about US$374m worth of shares (which is 6.8% 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.

So What Do The Air Lease Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders haven't bought Air Lease stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. On the plus side, Air Lease makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Air Lease. Be aware that Air Lease is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is significant...

But note: Air Lease 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.