Insiders were net sellers of Sana Biotechnology, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SANA ) stock during the past year. That is, insiders sold more stock than they bought.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Sana Biotechnology

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Independent Director, Patrick Yang, sold US$236k worth of shares at a price of US$9.45 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$5.09. So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Patrick Yang.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

I will like Sana Biotechnology better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Sana Biotechnology Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It's great to see that Sana Biotechnology insiders own 9.8% of the company, worth about US$113m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Sana Biotechnology Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Sana Biotechnology shares in the last quarter. It's great to see high levels of insider ownership, but looking back over the last year, we don't gain confidence from the Sana Biotechnology insiders selling. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Sana Biotechnology. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Sana Biotechnology has 5 warning signs (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com