We wouldn't blame Cimpress plc (NASDAQ:CMPR) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Maarten Wensveen, the Executive VP recently netted about US$1.6m selling shares at an average price of US$68.36. Probably the most concerning element of the whole transaction is that the disposal amounted to 53% of their entire holding.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Cimpress

Notably, that recent sale by Maarten Wensveen is the biggest insider sale of Cimpress shares that we've seen in the last year. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$62.42). So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Cimpress insiders own about US$249m worth of shares (which is 16% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Cimpress Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Cimpress. For example, Cimpress has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

Of course Cimpress 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.