Anyone interested in HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE:DINO) should probably be aware that the Executive Vice President of Operations, Valeria Pompa, recently divested US$403k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$57.53 each. Equally important, that sale actually reduced their holding by a full 53% which hardly makes us feel bullish about the stock.

See our latest analysis for HF Sinclair

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At HF Sinclair

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Michael Jennings, sold US$2.8m worth of shares at a price of US$56.85 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$58.66). 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. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was 98% of Michael Jennings's holding.

In total, HF Sinclair 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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does HF Sinclair Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. HF Sinclair insiders own about US$35m worth of shares. That equates to 0.3% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At HF Sinclair Tell Us?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of HF Sinclair stock, than buying, in the last three months. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We'd practice some caution before buying! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For example, HF Sinclair has 4 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

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.