Some NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Executive VP & Group President of NiSource Utilities, Melody Birmingham, recently sold a substantial US$1.6m worth of stock at a price of US$42.40 per share. That sale reduced their total holding by 42% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

NiSource Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Melody Birmingham was the biggest sale of NiSource shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$40.62. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

Insiders in NiSource didn't buy any shares in the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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).

Insider Ownership Of NiSource

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. It appears that NiSource insiders own 0.3% of the company, worth about US$51m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At NiSource Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought NiSource stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing NiSource. At Simply Wall St, we've found that NiSource has 3 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

But note: NiSource may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.