We wouldn't blame GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE:GXO) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Gena Ashe, the Independent Director recently netted about US$905k selling shares at an average price of US$50.00. Probably the most concerning element of the whole transaction is that the disposal amounted to 71% of their entire holding.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At GXO Logistics

In fact, the recent sale by Gena Ashe was the biggest sale of GXO Logistics shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$50.18. 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. It is worth noting that this sale was 71% of Gena Ashe's holding.

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!

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).

Does GXO Logistics Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that GXO Logistics insiders own 0.8% of the company, worth about US$49m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Do The GXO Logistics Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider sold GXO Logistics shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. On the plus side, GXO Logistics makes money, and is growing profits. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. While conducting our analysis, we found that GXO Logistics has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore it.

But note: GXO Logistics 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.