13% Of This AXIS Capital Holdings Insider's Holdings Were Sold

Looking at AXIS Capital Holdings Limited's (NYSE:AXS ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net sellers. That is, there were more number of shares sold by insiders than there were purchased.

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.

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The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At AXIS Capital Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Director, Henry Smith, sold US$526k worth of shares at a price of US$72.90 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$94.54). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 13% of Henry Smith's stake. Henry Smith was the only individual insider to sell over the last year.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 6.43k shares for US$444k. On the other hand they divested 7.22k shares, for US$526k. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

See our latest analysis for AXIS Capital Holdings

I will like AXIS Capital Holdings better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of AXIS Capital Holdings

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that AXIS Capital Holdings insiders own 0.7% of the company, worth about US$52m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At AXIS Capital Holdings Tell Us?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. Our analysis of AXIS Capital Holdings insider transactions leaves us cautious. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in the company. 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.

But note: AXIS Capital Holdings 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.