We wouldn't blame Steven Madden, Ltd. (NASDAQ:SHOO) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Amelia Varela, the President recently netted about US$729k selling shares at an average price of US$48.59. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 7.2%.

Steven Madden Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Amelia Varela is the biggest insider sale of Steven Madden shares that we've seen in the last year. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$48.26. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. 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).

Steven Madden insiders didn't buy any shares 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!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Does Steven Madden Boast High 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 Steven Madden insiders own 2.3% of the company, worth about US$82m. 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 Steven Madden Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought Steven Madden 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. But since Steven Madden is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Steven Madden. To assist with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Steven Madden.

But note: Steven Madden 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.