Need To Know: Colony Bankcorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBAN) Insiders Have Been Buying Shares

We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So before you buy or sell Colony Bankcorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBAN), 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. As Peter Lynch said, 'insiders might sell their shares for any number of reasons, but they buy them for only one: they think the price will rise.

View our latest analysis for Colony Bankcorp

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Colony Bankcorp

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Executive Vice President and West Regional Banking Executive Officer M. Edward Hoyle bought US$58k worth of shares at a price of US$13.17 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$11.84 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. 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.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 25.12k shares worth US$314k. But they sold 3000 shares for US$48k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Colony Bankcorp insiders. 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!

NasdaqGM:CBAN Insider Trading Volume June 25th 2020
NasdaqGM:CBAN Insider Trading Volume June 25th 2020

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

Colony Bankcorp Insiders Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Colony Bankcorp insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. In total, insiders bought US$145k 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 of Colony Bankcorp

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Colony Bankcorp insiders own 26% of the company, worth about US$30m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Colony Bankcorp Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Colony Bankcorp insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Colony Bankcorp. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Colony Bankcorp you should know about.

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.

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. 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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