We wouldn't blame Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (NYSE:RS) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Karla Lewis, the President recently netted about US$14m selling shares at an average price of US$319. That sale reduced their total holding by 35% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Reliance Steel & Aluminum

In fact, the recent sale by Karla Lewis was the biggest sale of Reliance Steel & Aluminum shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$326). 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. This single sale was just 35% of Karla Lewis's stake.

Reliance Steel & Aluminum insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by 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. It's great to see that Reliance Steel & Aluminum insiders own 0.8% of the company, worth about US$145m. This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Reliance Steel & Aluminum Tell Us?

Insiders sold Reliance Steel & Aluminum shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. 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. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Reliance Steel & Aluminum (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) 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.