Bullish International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) insiders filled their treasuries with US$2.9m worth of stock over last year

In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) stock, indicating that insiders’ optimism about the company’s prospects has increased.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for International Business Machines

International Business Machines Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The insider Frederick McNabb made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$999k worth of shares at a price of US$108 each. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of US$139. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn’t tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

While International Business Machines insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn’t sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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.

Does International Business Machines Boast High 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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. International Business Machines insiders own 0.1% of the company, currently worth about US$159m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The International Business Machines Insider Transactions Indicate?

There haven’t been any insider transactions in the last three months — that doesn’t mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like International Business Machines insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company’s shares) and optimistic for the future. So while it’s helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it’s also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Case in point: We’ve spotted 4 warning signs for International Business Machines you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company — one with potentially superior financials — then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

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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.
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