When a single insider purchases stock, it is typically not a major deal. However, when multiple insiders purchase stock, like in British Land Company PLC's (LON:BLND) instance, it's good news for shareholders.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for British Land

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At British Land

The CEO & Director Simon Carter made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK£152k worth of shares at a price of UK£3.57 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is UK£3.68. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 92.12k shares for UK£321k. But insiders sold 34.25k shares worth UK£112k. In total, British Land insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! insider-trading-volume

British Land is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this freelist of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of British Land

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. From looking at our data, insiders own UK£3.0m worth of British Land stock, about 0.09% of the company. However, it's possible that insiders might have an indirect interest through a more complex structure. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.



So What Does This Data Suggest About British Land Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded British Land shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if British Land insiders bought more shares in the company. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for British Land (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about.

But note: British Land may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this freelist 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.