Investors who take an interest in Kearny Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:KRNY) should definitely note that the Independent Director, Curtland Fields, recently paid US$9.41 per share to buy US$138k worth of the stock. That's a very solid buy in our book, and increased their holding by a noteworthy 34%.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Kearny Financial

Notably, that recent purchase by Curtland Fields is the biggest insider purchase of Kearny Financial shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$9.59. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. Happily, the Kearny Financial insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 52.38k shares worth US$432k. But they sold 10.50k shares for US$82k. Overall, Kearny Financial insiders were net buyers during the last year. They paid about US$8.25 on average. It is certainly positive to see that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, we do note that they were buying at significantly lower prices than today's share price. 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!

Kearny Financial is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership Of Kearny Financial

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Kearny Financial insiders own 4.7% of the company, worth about US$28m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Kearny Financial Tell Us?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Insiders likely see value in Kearny Financial shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. For example - Kearny Financial has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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.