Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Jeremy Jameson, the EVP & Chief Credit Officer of Midland States Bank of Midland States Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:MSBI) recently shelled out US$99k to buy stock, at US$17.69 per share. Although the purchase is not a big one, increasing their shareholding by only 9.7%, it can be interpreted as a good sign.
Notably, that recent purchase by Jeremy Jameson is the biggest insider purchase of Midland States Bancorp shares that we've seen in the last year. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (US$19.68), we still think insider buying is a positive. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.
In the last twelve months Midland States Bancorp insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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!
See our latest analysis for Midland States Bancorp
Midland States Bancorp is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 4.8% of Midland States Bancorp shares, worth about US$21m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.
The recent insider purchases are heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. Insiders likely see value in Midland States Bancorp shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. While conducting our analysis, we found that Midland States Bancorp has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.
But note: Midland States Bancorp 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.