Have Insiders Sold WesBanco Shares Recently?
Some WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Senior EVP, Jayson Zatta, recently sold a substantial US$523k worth of stock at a price of US$41.80 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 13%, which is notable but not too bad.
WesBanco Insider Transactions Over The Last Year
In fact, the recent sale by Jayson Zatta was the biggest sale of WesBanco shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$41.38. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.
Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 11.66k shares worth US$381k. But insiders sold 13.25k shares worth US$548k. In total, WesBanco insiders sold more 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!
View our latest analysis for WesBanco
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.
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. WesBanco insiders own about US$77m worth of shares. That equates to 1.9% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About WesBanco Insiders?
Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of WesBanco stock, than buying, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. But it is good to see that WesBanco is growing earnings. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We'd practice some caution before buying! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing WesBanco. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for WesBanco you should be aware of.
But note: WesBanco may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.
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.