Some BancFirst Corporation (NASDAQ:BANF) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, David Rainbolt, recently sold a substantial US$11m worth of stock at a price of US$116 per share. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 1.0%.

BancFirst Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by David Rainbolt was the biggest sale of BancFirst shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$113. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

David Rainbolt ditched 182.17k shares over the year. The average price per share was US$116. 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

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that BancFirst insiders own 31% of the company, worth about US$1.2b. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About BancFirst Insiders?

An insider sold BancFirst shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that BancFirst is growing earnings. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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. For example - BancFirst has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: BancFirst 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.