ARS Pharmaceuticals Insiders Sold US$1.3m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy

The fact that multiple ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRY) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

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.

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The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ARS Pharmaceuticals

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Chief Business Officer, Justin Chakma, for US$1.2m worth of shares, at about US$8.86 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$11.72). 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. It is worth noting that this sale was 100% of Justin Chakma's holding.

ARS Pharmaceuticals 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

View our latest analysis for ARS Pharmaceuticals

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Insiders At ARS Pharmaceuticals Have Sold Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at ARS Pharmaceuticals. Specifically, Chief Business Officer Justin Chakma ditched US$1.2m 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

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. ARS Pharmaceuticals insiders own 9.5% of the company, currently worth about US$110m based on the recent share price. 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 ARS Pharmaceuticals Insiders?

An insider sold ARS Pharmaceuticals shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for ARS Pharmaceuticals and we suggest you have a look.

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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.