We wouldn't blame Ethos Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:LIFE) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Peter Colis, the Co-Founder recently netted about US$1.0m selling shares at an average price of US$34.18. However, that sale only accounted for 1.8% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

Ethos Technologies Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Employee Director William Wheeler for US$4.9m worth of shares, at about US$19.00 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$32.85. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 526.31k shares worth US$10.0m. But they sold 599.41k shares for US$12m. In total, Ethos Technologies 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!

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

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. It's great to see that Ethos Technologies insiders own 22% of the company, worth about US$472m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Ethos Technologies Tell Us?

Insiders sold Ethos Technologies shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. 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.

Of course Ethos Technologies may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.