Some Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that insider Maurice Marciano recently sold a substantial US$14m worth of stock at a price of US$23.55 per share. However, that sale only accounted for 5.4% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

View our latest analysis for Guess?

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Guess?

In fact, the recent sale by Maurice Marciano was the biggest sale of Guess? 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$23.40. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

In the last year Guess? insiders didn't buy any company stock. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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. Guess? insiders own 49% of the company, currently worth about US$620m based on the recent share price. 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 Guess? Insiders?

Insiders sold Guess? shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. On the plus side, Guess? makes money, and is growing profits. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 3 warning signs for Guess? and we suggest you have a look.

But note: Guess? 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.