It is usually uneventful when a single insider buys stock. However, When quite a few insiders buy shares, as it happened in Arbor Realty Trust, Inc.'s (NYSE:ABR) case, it's fantastic news for shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

Check out our latest analysis for Arbor Realty Trust

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Arbor Realty Trust

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chairman Ivan Kaufman for US$480k worth of shares, at about US$12.05 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (US$14.81), we still think insider buying is a positive. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

In the last twelve months Arbor Realty Trust insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Arbor Realty Trust Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Arbor Realty Trust insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. In total, insiders bought US$1.3m worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence.

Insider Ownership Of Arbor Realty Trust

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Arbor Realty Trust insiders own about US$58m worth of shares. That equates to 1.9% 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 Arbor Realty Trust Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Insiders likely see value in Arbor Realty Trust shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Arbor Realty Trust. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Arbor Realty Trust (1 is significant) you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.