We wouldn't blame Renasant Corporation (NYSE:RNST) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that C. Waycaster, the Executive Vice Chairman recently netted about US$502k selling shares at an average price of US$39.50. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 5.9%.

Renasant Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Milton Cole, sold US$813k worth of shares at a price of US$40.63 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$39.13. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

In total, Renasant insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. 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!

I will like Renasant better if I see some big insider buys.

Insider Ownership Of Renasant

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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Renasant insiders own about US$75m worth of shares. That equates to 2.1% of the company. 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 Does This Data Suggest About Renasant Insiders?

Insiders sold Renasant shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company.

But note: Renasant 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.

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.