Fortune Brands Innovations Insiders Sell US$1.2m Of Stock, Possibly Signalling Caution

Simply Wall St · 10/25 16:31

Over the past year, many Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. (NYSE:FBIN) insiders sold a significant stake in the company which may have piqued investors' interest. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Fortune Brands Innovations

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Fortune Brands Innovations

The Executive VP & Group President, Cheri Phyfer, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$905k worth of shares at a price of US$81.60 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$87.88). 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was only 22% of Cheri Phyfer's holding.

Fortune Brands Innovations insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

insider-trading-volume
NYSE:FBIN Insider Trading Volume October 25th 2024

I will like Fortune Brands Innovations better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Fortune Brands Innovations Insiders Are Selling The Stock

The last three months saw significant insider selling at Fortune Brands Innovations. Specifically, Independent Director Ann Hackett ditched US$174k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all.

Does Fortune Brands Innovations Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Fortune Brands Innovations insiders own 0.7% of the company, worth about US$74m. 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 Do The Fortune Brands Innovations Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider hasn't bought Fortune Brands Innovations stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. 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'd practice some caution before buying! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Fortune Brands Innovations. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Fortune Brands Innovations and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.