In the last year, many HubSpot, Inc. (NYSE:HUBS) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, shareholders should take a deeper look if several insiders are selling stock over a specific time period.

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.

HubSpot Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Co-Founder, Dharmesh Shah, for US$7.1m worth of shares, at about US$470 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$480. 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. This single sale was just 1.0% of Dharmesh Shah's stake.

In total, HubSpot insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. 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!

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).

HubSpot Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at HubSpot. Co-Founder & Executive Chairperson Brian Halligan bought US$15k worth of shares in that time. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

Insider Ownership Of HubSpot

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 HubSpot insiders own 3.8% of the company, worth about US$925m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About HubSpot Insiders?

We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. It's heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we'd like to see more insider buying, since the last year of HubSpot insider transactions don't fill us with confidence. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that HubSpot has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this.

Of course HubSpot 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com