We'd be surprised if Radware Ltd. (NASDAQ:RDWR) shareholders haven't noticed that the Chief Operating Officer, Gabi Malka, recently sold US$195k worth of stock at US$30.00 per share. That sale was 12% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.
Notably, that recent sale by Chief Operating Officer Gabi Malka was not the only time they sold Radware shares this year. Earlier in the year, they fetched US$30.00 per share in a -US$210k sale. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$28.88. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold 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.
All up, insiders sold more shares in Radware 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 click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!
Check out our latest analysis for Radware
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Radware insiders own about US$148m worth of shares (which is 12% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Radware stock, than buying, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. On the plus side, Radware makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that Radware has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.
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.