Anyone interested in Princeton Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPRN) should probably be aware that the Vice Chairman of the Board, Stephen Distler, recently divested US$364k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$41.48 each. On the bright side, that sale was only 5.1% of their holding, so we doubt it's very meaningful, on its own.

Princeton Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Stephen Distler is the biggest insider sale of Princeton Bancorp shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was slightly below the current price of US$42.25, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. This single sale was just 5.1% of Stephen Distler's stake.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$606k for 18.64k shares. But they sold 21.88k shares for US$799k. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Princeton Bancorp shares, than buying. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Princeton Bancorp better if I see some big insider buys.

Does Princeton Bancorp Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Princeton Bancorp insiders own about US$77m worth of shares. That equates to 27% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Princeton Bancorp Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But it is good to see that Princeton Bancorp is growing earnings. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! 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, 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.