We'd be surprised if TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK) shareholders haven't noticed that the Lead Independent Director, Cory Giese, recently sold US$252k worth of stock at US$49.47 per share. However, the silver lining is that the sale only reduced their total holding by 9.2%, so we're hesitant to read anything much into it, on its own.

TriCo Bancshares Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Cory Giese was the biggest sale of TriCo Bancshares shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$48.04. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

Insiders in TriCo Bancshares didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Does TriCo Bancshares Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. TriCo Bancshares insiders own about US$66m worth of shares. That equates to 4.1% 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 TriCo Bancshares Insiders?

An insider sold TriCo Bancshares shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for TriCo Bancshares and we suggest you have a look.

Of course TriCo Bancshares may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.