Some Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the President of Global Brands & MD of Americas, Kristin Scott, recently sold a substantial US$14m worth of stock at a price of US$126 per share. Probably the most concerning element of the whole transaction is that the disposal amounted to 74% of their entire holding.

See our latest analysis for Abercrombie & Fitch

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Abercrombie & Fitch

In fact, the recent sale by Kristin Scott was the biggest sale of Abercrombie & Fitch shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$126. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive).

In the last year Abercrombie & Fitch insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Abercrombie & Fitch better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Abercrombie & Fitch insiders own 2.6% of the company, worth about US$157m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Abercrombie & Fitch Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. But it is good to see that Abercrombie & Fitch is growing earnings. 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. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Abercrombie & Fitch you should be aware of.

But note: Abercrombie & Fitch may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.