Insiders were net buyers of First Hawaiian, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:FHB ) stock during the past year. That is, insiders bought more stock than they sold.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for First Hawaiian

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At First Hawaiian

The Chairman of the Board Robert Harrison made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$508k worth of shares at a price of US$21.61 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$23.14. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. The good news for First Hawaiian share holders is that an insider was buying at near the current price. Robert Harrison was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

First Hawaiian is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insiders At First Hawaiian Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw significant insider selling at First Hawaiian. In total, Vice Chairman of Digital Banking & Marketing Group and COO Christopher Dods sold US$89k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.

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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. First Hawaiian insiders own about US$15m worth of shares. That equates to 0.5% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At First Hawaiian Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought First Hawaiian stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. In contrast, they appear keener if you look at the last twelve months. It's good to see insiders are shareholders. So we're not overly bothered by recent selling. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing First Hawaiian. For example, First Hawaiian has 2 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

But note: First Hawaiian 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.