We note that the Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWB) Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Salazar, recently sold US$77k worth of stock for US$18.55 per share. It wasn't a huge sale, but it did reduce their holding by 10%. This does not instill confidence.

Bridgewater Bancshares Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Co-Founder, Jeffrey Shellberg, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$544k worth of shares at a price of US$16.03 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$18.13. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. 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 4.3% of Jeffrey Shellberg's holding.

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

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Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Bridgewater Bancshares insiders own 20% of the company, worth about US$103m. 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 Bridgewater Bancshares Insiders?

An insider hasn't bought Bridgewater Bancshares stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. But since Bridgewater Bancshares is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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. For example - Bridgewater Bancshares has 1 warning sign 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.