Some Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Senior VP of Corporate Services and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, Cara Hair, recently sold a substantial US$1.2m worth of stock at a price of US$41.45 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 16% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

Helmerich & Payne Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Senior VP of Corporate Services and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Cara Hair was not their only sale of Helmerich & Payne shares this year. Earlier in the year, they fetched US$36.62 per share in a -US$2.2m sale. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$40.88. 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. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 25% of Cara Hair's holding.

In the last year Helmerich & Payne insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Insider Ownership Of Helmerich & Payne

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It's great to see that Helmerich & Payne insiders own 4.0% of the company, worth about US$164m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Helmerich & Payne Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. 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.

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.

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.