We'd be surprised if Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPOK) shareholders haven't noticed that the Corporate Secretary & Treasurer, Sharon Woods Keisling, recently sold US$226k worth of stock at US$11.30 per share. Equally important, that sale actually reduced their holding by a full 77% which hardly makes us feel bullish about the stock.

Spok Holdings Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the President, Vincent Kelly, sold US$442k worth of shares at a price of US$17.69 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$10.98. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels. Notably Vincent Kelly was also the biggest buyer, having purchased US$107k worth of shares.

Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Spok Holdings shares, than buying. 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!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Spok Holdings Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 2.3% of Spok Holdings shares, worth about US$5.6m, according to our data. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!

What Might The Insider Transactions At Spok Holdings Tell Us?

Insiders haven't bought Spok Holdings stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. When you combine this with the relatively low insider ownership, we are very cautious about the stock. We'd certainly 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. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Spok Holdings has 2 warning signs (1 can't be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

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.