Those following along with Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Thomas Moriarty, Executive Vice President of M&A and Corporate Affairs of the company, who spent a stonking US$2.0m on stock at an average price of US$11.51. That increased their holding by a full 123%, which arguably implies the sort of confidence required for a shy sweet-natured nerd to ask the most popular kid in the school to go out on a date.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Albertsons Companies

The Executive VP and Chief Technology & Transformation Officer, Anuj Dhanda, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$4.4m worth of shares at a price of US$19.25 each. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$12.06. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

In total, Albertsons Companies insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

I will like Albertsons Companies better if I see some big insider buys.

Does Albertsons Companies Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Albertsons Companies insiders own about US$95m worth of shares. That equates to 1.7% 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 Albertsons Companies Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. However, the longer term transactions are not so encouraging. The more recent transactions are a positive, but Albertsons Companies insiders haven't shown the sustained enthusiasm that we look for, although they do own a decent number of shares, overall. Overall they seem reasonably aligned. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Albertsons Companies. For example - Albertsons Companies has 4 warning signs 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.