We wouldn't blame Silgan Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SLGN) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Robert Lewis, the Executive VP & CFO recently netted about US$704k selling shares at an average price of US$46.93. However, that sale only accounted for 8.4% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

See our latest analysis for Silgan Holdings

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Silgan Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Non-Executive Chairman, Anthony Allott, sold US$5.1m worth of shares at a price of US$43.31 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$45.21, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 16% of Anthony Allott's holding.

Silgan Holdings insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. 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 growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Silgan Holdings

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. Silgan Holdings insiders own about US$1.2b worth of shares (which is 24% of the company). 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 Silgan Holdings Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought Silgan Holdings stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. But it is good to see that Silgan Holdings is growing earnings. 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 Silgan Holdings. For example, Silgan Holdings has 2 warning signs (and 1 which shouldn't be ignored) we think you should know about.

Of course Silgan Holdings 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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.