We wouldn't blame Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:FET) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that David Williams, the Executive VP & CFO recently netted about US$1.6m selling shares at an average price of US$78.13. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 14%, which is notable but not too bad.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Forum Energy Technologies

Notably, that recent sale by David Williams is the biggest insider sale of Forum Energy Technologies shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$75.60. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

Insiders in Forum Energy Technologies didn't buy any shares in the last year. 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!

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Does Forum Energy Technologies 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. Forum Energy Technologies insiders own about US$85m worth of shares. That equates to 9.9% 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.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Forum Energy Technologies Tell Us?

Insiders haven't bought Forum Energy Technologies 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'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. For example - Forum Energy Technologies has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Forum Energy Technologies 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.