Multiple insiders secured a larger position in Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Coty

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Coty

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Mariasun Aramburuzabala Larregui for US$5.4m worth of shares, at about US$10.80 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of US$12.22. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.

Coty insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. 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!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders At Coty Have Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Coty insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. We can see that Independent Non-Executive Director Isabelle Parize paid US$261k for shares in the company. No-one sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Coty Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It's great to see that Coty insiders own 5.6% of the company, worth about US$611m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Coty Insiders?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Coty insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. That's what I like to see! 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. Be aware that Coty is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable...

But note: Coty 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.

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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.