Anyone interested in QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNST) should probably be aware that the Independent Director, Asmau Ahmed, recently divested US$308k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$20.55 each. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 27% in their holding.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At QuinStreet

Notably, that recent sale by Asmau Ahmed is the biggest insider sale of QuinStreet 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$20.50. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last year QuinStreet insiders didn't buy any company stock. 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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 6.2% of QuinStreet shares, worth about US$74m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Do The QuinStreet Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders haven't bought QuinStreet stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that QuinStreet is growing earnings. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision.

But note: QuinStreet 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.