Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ:NVAX) shareholders might have a reason to worry after multiple insiders sold their shares over the last year. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more beneficial than knowing whether they are selling, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Novavax

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the President of Research & Development, Filip Dubovsky, sold US$384k worth of shares at a price of US$13.90 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$13.11. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Novavax shares, than buying. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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

Insiders At Novavax Have Sold Stock Recently

There was substantially more insider selling, than buying, of Novavax shares over the last three months. In total, insiders sold US$593k worth of shares in that time. On the flip side, insider Himanshu Shah spent US$34k on purchasing shares (as mentioned above) . The share price has moved a bit recently, but it's hard to argue that the selling is a positive.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 0.3% of Novavax shares, worth about US$6.8m, according to our data. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Novavax Tell Us?

The stark truth for Novavax is that there has been more insider selling than insider buying in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. When you consider that most companies have higher levels of insider ownership, we're a little wary. So we'd only buy after very careful consideration. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Novavax. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Novavax (including 3 which are concerning).

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.

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