We wouldn't blame Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:BHE) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Rhonda Buseman, the Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer recently netted about US$562k selling shares at an average price of US$85.14. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 15%, which is notable but not too bad.

Benchmark Electronics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Rhonda Buseman is the biggest insider sale of Benchmark Electronics shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was slightly below the current price of US$85.51, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower 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 15% of Rhonda Buseman's holding.

In the last year Benchmark Electronics 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. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Benchmark Electronics better if I see some big insider buys.

Does Benchmark Electronics Boast High Insider Ownership?

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. It appears that Benchmark Electronics insiders own 2.2% of the company, worth about US$67m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Benchmark Electronics Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought Benchmark Electronics stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. 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. For example - Benchmark Electronics has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

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.