Some O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Executive Vice Chairman, David O'Reilly, recently sold a substantial US$6.2m worth of stock at a price of US$1,230 per share. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 2.3%.

O'Reilly Automotive Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by Executive Vice Chairman David O'Reilly was not their only sale of O'Reilly Automotive shares this year. They previously made an even bigger sale of -US$26m worth of shares at a price of US$1,126 per share. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$1,213, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. 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. We note that the biggest single sale was only 9.4% of David O'Reilly's holding.

O'Reilly Automotive insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does O'Reilly Automotive Boast High Insider Ownership?

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. O'Reilly Automotive insiders own about US$601m worth of shares (which is 0.9% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About O'Reilly Automotive Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. But it is good to see that O'Reilly Automotive is growing earnings. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. 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. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in O'Reilly Automotive.

But note: O'Reilly Automotive may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.