Executive VP & Chief Human Resources Officer Of Walker & Dunlop Sold 36% Of Their Shares

We'd be surprised if Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) shareholders haven't noticed that the Executive VP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Paula Pryor, recently sold US$460k worth of stock at US$86.20 per share. That sale was 36% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.

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Walker & Dunlop Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chairman William Walker for US$1.5m worth of shares, at about US$86.80 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$83.40). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. William Walker was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

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!

See our latest analysis for Walker & Dunlop

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Does Walker & Dunlop Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Walker & Dunlop insiders own 3.7% of the company, worth about US$105m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Walker & Dunlop Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. On the other hand, the insider transactions over the last year are encouraging. And insider ownership remains quite considerable. So the recent selling doesn't worry us. 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. Be aware that Walker & Dunlop is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those can't be ignored...

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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.