Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA) shareholders might have a reason to worry after multiple insiders sold their shares over the last year. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, when multiple insiders sell stock over a specific duration, shareholders should take notice as that could possibly be a red flag.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

Check out our latest analysis for Kura Oncology

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Kura Oncology

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Chief Medical Officer, Stephen Dale, sold US$128k worth of shares at a price of US$13.89 per share. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$9.03). So it may not shed much light on insider confidence at current levels.

Kura Oncology insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Our data indicates that Kura Oncology insiders own about US$5.6m worth of shares (which is 0.8% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Kura Oncology Insiders?

The fact that there have been no Kura Oncology insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. The insider transactions at Kura Oncology are not inspiring us to buy. And usually insiders own more stock in the company, according to our data. 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. For example, Kura Oncology has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.

Of course Kura Oncology 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.