We wouldn't blame Ranger Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE:RNGR) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Brett Agee, the Independent Director recently netted about US$1.0m selling shares at an average price of US$16.67. That diminished their holding by a very significant 100%, which arguably implies a strong desire to reallocate capital.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ranger Energy Services

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the insider, Charles Leykum, sold US$1.9m worth of shares at a price of US$11.31 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$16.83). As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. We note that the biggest single sale was 80% of Charles Leykum's holding.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 40.29k shares worth US$394k. But insiders sold 246.51k shares worth US$3.1m. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Ranger Energy Services shares, than buying. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Ranger Energy Services insiders own about US$14m worth of shares. That equates to 3.7% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Ranger Energy Services Tell Us?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Ranger Energy Services. To assist with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Ranger Energy Services.

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.