Anyone interested in Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACHV) should probably be aware that the Director, Richard A. Stewart, recently divested US$175k worth of shares in the company, at an average price of US$8.49 each. On the bright side, that sale was only 9.0% of their holding, so we doubt it's very meaningful, on its own.

Achieve Life Sciences Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Richard A. Stewart is the biggest insider sale of Achieve Life Sciences shares that we've seen in the last year. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$7.99. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold 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).

The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

I will like Achieve Life Sciences better if I see some big insider buys.

Insider Ownership

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. Insiders own 2.3% of Achieve Life Sciences shares, worth about US$19m. 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 Achieve Life Sciences Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought Achieve Life Sciences stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! 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.

Of course Achieve Life Sciences may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.