Some Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Chief Growth Officer, Terry Thomas, recently sold a substantial US$845k worth of stock at a price of US$23.11 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 46% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Flowers Foods Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Terry Thomas was the biggest sale of Flowers Foods shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$22.54. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 11.58k shares worth US$256k. But they sold 50.85k shares for US$1.2m. All up, insiders sold more shares in Flowers Foods 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. 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.

Does Flowers Foods Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Flowers Foods insiders own about US$378m worth of shares (which is 7.8% 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 Does This Data Suggest About Flowers Foods Insiders?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Flowers Foods stock, than buying, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Flowers Foods you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.