Anyone interested in CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE:CBZ) should probably be aware that the Independent Director, Benaree Wiley, recently divested US$468k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$71.75 each. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 13% in their holding.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At CBIZ

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Senior VP & CFO, Ware Grove, for US$644k worth of shares, at about US$79.11 per share. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$69.92). So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.

All up, insiders sold more shares in CBIZ than they bought, over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. 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

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. CBIZ insiders own about US$181m worth of shares (which is 4.9% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Do The CBIZ Insider Transactions Indicate?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at CBIZ, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision.

Of course CBIZ 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.