We'd be surprised if Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ESQ) shareholders haven't noticed that the Independent Director, Robert Mitzman, recently sold US$389k worth of stock at US$130 per share. On the bright side, that sale was only 2.0% of their holding, so we doubt it's very meaningful, on its own.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Esquire Financial Holdings

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Selig Zises, sold US$3.2m worth of shares at a price of US$107 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$130. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. 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 19% of Selig Zises's holding.

In the last year Esquire Financial Holdings insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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).

Does Esquire Financial Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Esquire Financial Holdings insiders own 14% of the company, worth about US$148m. 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 Esquire Financial Holdings Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that Esquire Financial Holdings is growing earnings. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. Therefore, you should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Esquire Financial Holdings.

Of course Esquire Financial Holdings 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.