Chairman of the Board of Heartland Express Michael Gerdin Buys 1.2% More Shares \

Those following along with Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTLD) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Michael Gerdin, Chairman of the Board of the company, who spent a stonking US$1.5m on stock at an average price of US$14.91. While that only increased their holding size by 1.2%, it is still a big swing by our standards.

View our latest analysis for Heartland Express

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Heartland Express

In fact, the recent purchase by Chairman of the Board Michael Gerdin was not their only acquisition of Heartland Express shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of US$1.7m worth of shares at a price of US$15.89 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$15.15. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

Heartland Express insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. 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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership Of Heartland Express

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Heartland Express insiders own about US$141m 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.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Heartland Express Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Heartland Express. That's what I like to see! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Heartland Express. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Heartland Express 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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.

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