Last week, The E.W. Scripps Company's (NASDAQ:SSP) stock jumped 5.9%, but insiders who sold US$949k worth of stock in over the past year are likely to be in a better position. Selling at an average price of US$17.97, which is higher than the current price, may have been the wisest decision for these insiders as their investment would have been worth less now than when they sold.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

See our latest analysis for E.W. Scripps

E.W. Scripps Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the President of Scripps Networks, Lisa Knutson, sold US$241k worth of shares at a price of US$15.43 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$14.71. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 13.66k shares for US$217k. On the other hand they divested 52.82k shares, for US$949k. All up, insiders sold more shares in E.W. Scripps than they bought, over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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E.W. Scripps Insiders Are Selling The Stock

The last three months saw significant insider selling at E.W. Scripps. In total, President of Scripps Networks Lisa Knutson sold US$483k 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 Of E.W. Scripps

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. E.W. Scripps insiders own about US$369m worth of shares (which is 30% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About E.W. Scripps Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought E.W. Scripps stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing E.W. Scripps. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in E.W. Scripps.

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, 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.