How Much Are ScanSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCSC) Insiders Taking Off The Table?

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We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in ScanSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCSC).

What Is Insider Selling?

Most investors know that it is quite permissible for company leaders, such as directors of the board, to buy and sell stock on the market. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for ScanSource

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At ScanSource

The Director, Charles Whitchurch, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$239k worth of shares at a price of US$42.00 each. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$30.18. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

In total, ScanSource insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by 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!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders at ScanSource Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at ScanSource. Specifically, Michael Grainger bought US$123k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. That shows some optimism about the company's future.

Insider Ownership

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. Insiders own 0.7% of ScanSource shares, worth about US$5.1m, according to our data. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!

So What Do The ScanSource Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. However, the longer term transactions are not so encouraging. The transactions over the last year don't give us confidence, and nor does the fairly low insider ownership, but at least the recent buying is a positive. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.