We'd be surprised if Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK) shareholders haven't noticed that the Independent Vice Chairman of the Board, James Abernethy, recently sold US$108k worth of stock at US$27.12 per share. On the bright side, that sale was only 2.0% of their holding, so we doubt it's very meaningful, on its own.

See our latest analysis for Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Independent Director, William Terry, for US$325k worth of shares, at about US$32.50 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The good news is that this large sale was at well above current price of US$27.24. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 3.91k shares worth US$81k. But they sold 18.00k shares for US$520k. Over the last year we saw more insider selling of Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina shares, than buying. 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!

I will like Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Boast High Insider Ownership?

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 appears that Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina insiders own 15% of the company, worth about US$23m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina Insiders?

An insider sold Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina shares recently, but they didn't buy any. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. On the plus side, Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

Of course Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina 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.