The fact that multiple DT Midstream, Inc. (NYSE:DTM) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.
The Executive VP, Wendy Ellis, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.8m worth of shares at a price of US$93.28 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$121, 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. This single sale was 75% of Wendy Ellis's stake.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 1.39k shares worth US$126k. But insiders sold 23.61k shares worth US$2.3m. All up, insiders sold more shares in DT Midstream than they bought, over the last year. They sold for an average price of about US$95.33. We don't gain confidence from insider selling below the recent share price. But we wouldn't put too much weight on the insider selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
View our latest analysis for DT Midstream
I will like DT Midstream better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.
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. Insiders own 0.4% of DT Midstream shares, worth about US$48m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.
There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of DT Midstream insider transactions leaves us cautious. The modest level of insider ownership is, at least, some comfort. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example - DT Midstream has 1 warning sign we think 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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