We'd be surprised if Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST) shareholders haven't noticed that the VP & Chief Accounting Officer, Robert Werner, recently sold US$328k worth of stock at US$45.67 per share. That sale was 21% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Twist Bioscience

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Co-Founder, Emily Leproust, sold US$1.0m worth of shares at a price of US$32.19 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$47.47. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. 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. It is worth noting that this sale was only 7.8% of Emily Leproust's holding.

Insiders in Twist Bioscience didn't buy any shares in the last year. 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 Twist Bioscience better if I see some big insider buys.

Does Twist Bioscience 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. Twist Bioscience insiders own about US$62m worth of shares. That equates to 2.1% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Twist Bioscience Insider Transactions Indicate?

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. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Twist Bioscience.

But note: Twist Bioscience 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.