We wouldn't blame Wintrust Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:WTFC) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Kathleen Boege, the Executive VP recently netted about US$732k selling shares at an average price of US$146. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 22%, which is notable but not too bad.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Wintrust Financial

The Vice Chairman & COO, David Dykstra, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$2.0m worth of shares at a price of US$132 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$147. 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. We note that the biggest single sale was only 11% of David Dykstra's holding.

Wintrust Financial insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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).

Does Wintrust Financial Boast High 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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Wintrust Financial insiders own about US$140m worth of shares (which is 1.4% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Wintrust Financial Tell Us?

Insiders haven't bought Wintrust Financial stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that Wintrust Financial is growing earnings. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.