Some Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE:MCB) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Independent Director, Robert Patent, recently sold a substantial US$1.4m worth of stock at a price of US$94.16 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 13%, which is notable but not too bad.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the President, Mark DeFazio, for US$2.9m worth of shares, at about US$66.01 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$89.54, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. 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. This single sale was just 42% of Mark DeFazio's stake.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.17k shares for US$83k. But insiders sold 126.83k shares worth US$8.7m. In total, Metropolitan Bank Holding insiders sold more 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Does Metropolitan Bank Holding Boast High Insider Ownership?

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. It appears that Metropolitan Bank Holding insiders own 4.4% of the company, worth about US$39m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Metropolitan Bank Holding Insiders?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Metropolitan Bank Holding stock, than buying, in the last three months. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. But since Metropolitan Bank Holding is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We're in no rush to buy! If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.