We note that the C&F Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:CFFI) Executive VP & Chief Credit Officer of C&F Bank, John Seaman, recently sold US$55k worth of stock for US$84.61 per share. It might not be a huge sale, but it did reduce their holding size 12%, hardly encouraging.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At C&F Financial

The Executive VP, Jason Long, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$103k worth of shares at a price of US$75.50 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$87.94). 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. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. It is worth noting that this sale was only 12% of Jason Long's holding.

In the last year C&F Financial insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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.

Insider Ownership Of C&F Financial

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 7.0% of C&F Financial shares, worth about US$20m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About C&F Financial Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought C&F Financial stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that C&F Financial is growing earnings. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing C&F Financial.

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.