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Have Insiders Been Buying Samsonite International S.A. (HKG:1910) Shares This Year?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So before you buy or sell Samsonite International S.A. (HKG:1910), you may well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling.

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

See our latest analysis for Samsonite International

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Samsonite International

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Non-Executive Director Paul Kenneth Etchells bought HK$586k worth of shares at a price of HK$16.70 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being HK$16.32). Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. It is encouraging to see an insider paid above the current price for shares, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was Paul Kenneth Etchells.

Paul Kenneth Etchells bought a total of 99.90k shares over the year at an average price of HK$16.56. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

SEHK:1910 Recent Insider Trading, January 27th 2020
SEHK:1910 Recent Insider Trading, January 27th 2020

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 Samsonite International

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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Samsonite International insiders own about HK$979m worth of shares (which is 4.2% 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.

So What Do The Samsonite International Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Samsonite International insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. With high insider ownership and encouraging transactions, it seems like Samsonite International insiders think the business has merit. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Samsonite International.

But note: Samsonite International 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, but not derivative transactions.

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.

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. Thank you for reading.