Last week, Nkarta, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:NKTX) stock jumped 15%, but insiders who sold US$238k worth of stock in over the past year are likely to be in a better position. Selling at an average price of US$8.34, which is higher than the current price, may have been the wisest decision for these insiders as their investment would have been worth less now than when 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.

Nkarta Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the CEO & Director, Paul Hastings, for US$85k worth of shares, at about US$8.74 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$5.91. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.

Insiders in Nkarta didn't buy any shares in the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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

Insiders At Nkarta Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw some Nkarta insider selling. Insiders sold just US$20k worth of shares in that time. Neither the lack of buying nor the presence of selling is heartening. But the volume sold is so low that it really doesn't bother us.

Does Nkarta Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Based on our data, Nkarta insiders have about 0.3% of the stock, worth approximately US$1.2m. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

So What Do The Nkarta Insider Transactions Indicate?

We did not see any insider buying in the last three months, but we did see selling. But given the selling was modest, we're not worried. We're a little cautious about the insider selling at Nkarta. We also note that, as far as we can see, insider ownership is fairly low, compared to other companies. While it's good to be aware of 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. To help with this, we've discovered 5 warning signs (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Nkarta.

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.

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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.