Investors may wish to note that the Executive VP & Regional President of Westchester County of Orange County Bancorp, Inc., Joseph Ruhl, recently netted US$53k from selling stock, receiving an average price of US$57.75. However we note that the sale only shrunk their holding by 8.5%.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Orange County Bancorp

The Executive VP & Strategic Lending Relationship Executive, Michael Coulter, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$84k worth of shares at a price of US$56.00 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$59.50. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was 72% of Michael Coulter's stake.

All up, insiders sold more shares in Orange County Bancorp than they bought, over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Does Orange County Bancorp Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Orange County Bancorp insiders own about US$52m worth of shares. That equates to 15% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Orange County Bancorp Insiders?

The stark truth for Orange County Bancorp is that there has been more insider selling than insider buying in the last three months. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Orange County Bancorp you should know about.

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.