The fact that multiple Arhaus, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARHS) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more beneficial than knowing whether they are selling, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.
While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.
View our latest analysis for Arhaus
Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Chief Retail Officer, Kathy Veltri, for US$699k worth of shares, at about US$9.32 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$9.46. 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. We note that the biggest single sale was only 17% of Kathy Veltri's holding.
Arhaus insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. 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!
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by 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. Arhaus insiders own about US$450m worth of shares (which is 34% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.
The fact that there have been no Arhaus insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Arhaus, we can't say the same about the selling of shares. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Arhaus. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Arhaus and understanding it should be part of your investment process.
Of course Arhaus may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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 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.