Those following along with J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:JBHT) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by John Roberts, Executive Chairman & CEO of the company, who spent a stonking US$999k on stock at an average price of US$161. There's no denying a buy of that magnitude suggests conviction in a brighter future, although we do note that proportionally it only increased their holding by 1.9%.

See our latest analysis for J.B. Hunt Transport Services

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At J.B. Hunt Transport Services

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Consultant, Craig Harper, for US$1.4m worth of shares, at about US$213 per share. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$165. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 11.20k shares for US$2.0m. But they sold 49.81k shares for US$10m. All up, insiders sold more shares in J.B. Hunt Transport Services than they bought, over the last year. The average sell price was around US$203. We are not joyful about insider selling. But we note that the selling, on average, was at well above the recently traded price of US$165. 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!

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Insider Ownership Of J.B. Hunt Transport Services

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. J.B. Hunt Transport Services insiders own about US$3.5b worth of shares (which is 21% 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 J.B. Hunt Transport Services Tell Us?

The insider sales have outweighed the insider buying, at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for J.B. Hunt Transport Services you should know about.

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.