Some Granite Construction Incorporated (NYSE:GVA) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Senior Vice President of Construction, Michael Tatusko, recently sold a substantial US$1.1m worth of stock at a price of US$141 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 17% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Granite Construction Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Michael Tatusko was the biggest sale of Granite Construction 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$140. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

Granite Construction 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!

I will like Granite Construction better if I see some big insider buys.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Granite Construction insiders own 0.8% of the company, worth about US$48m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Granite Construction Insiders?

Insiders sold Granite Construction shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But since Granite Construction is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company.

Of course Granite Construction 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.

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.