Those following along with Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:MPB) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Matthew DeSoto, Independent Director of the company, who spent a stonking US$543k on stock at an average price of US$29.50. While that only increased their holding size by -122%, it is still a big swing by our standards.

Mid Penn Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Matthew DeSoto is the biggest insider purchase of Mid Penn Bancorp shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$32.23. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. 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. Happily, the Mid Penn Bancorp insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

While Mid Penn Bancorp insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. 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!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership Of Mid Penn Bancorp

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Mid Penn Bancorp insiders own 6.3% of the company, worth about US$32m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Mid Penn Bancorp Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent purchasing. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Mid Penn Bancorp insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. 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. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Mid Penn Bancorp and understanding this should be part of your investment process.

But note: Mid Penn Bancorp 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.