Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TARS) stock rose 11% last week, but insiders who sold US$195k worth of stock over the last year are probably in a more advantageous position. Selling at an average price of US$12.72, which is higher than the current price, may have been the best move for these insiders because their investment would have been worth less now than when they sold.

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.

Check out our latest analysis for Tarsus Pharmaceuticals

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Chief Medical Advisor & Director Elizabeth Lin for US$160k worth of shares, at about US$16.80 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (US$21.80), we still think insider buying is a positive. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 10.51k shares for US$179k. But they sold 15.33k shares for US$195k. In total, Tarsus Pharmaceuticals insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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

Insiders At Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Have Bought Stock Recently

We saw some Tarsus Pharmaceuticals insider buying shares in the last three months. Independent Director Andrew Goldberg shelled out US$19k for shares in that time. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

Does Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company 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. Tarsus Pharmaceuticals insiders own about US$55m worth of shares. That equates to 7.6% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Tarsus Pharmaceuticals Insiders?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. The net investment is not enough to encourage us much. Still, the insider transactions at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals in the last 12 months are not very heartening. But it's good to see that insiders own shares in 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. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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.