Have Ocular Therapeutix Insiders Been Selling Stock?

We'd be surprised if Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCUL) shareholders haven't noticed that the Executive Chairman, Pravin Dugel, recently sold US$188k worth of stock at US$9.02 per share. That sale was 17% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.

See our latest analysis for Ocular Therapeutix

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ocular Therapeutix

In fact, the recent sale by Pravin Dugel was the biggest sale of Ocular Therapeutix shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$8.56. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last year Ocular Therapeutix insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Does Ocular Therapeutix Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Ocular Therapeutix insiders own about US$30m worth of shares. That equates to 2.1% of the company. 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 Ocular Therapeutix Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! 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. Be aware that Ocular Therapeutix is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is concerning...

But note: Ocular Therapeutix 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.