In the last year, many HEICO Corporation (NYSE:HEI) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders' attention. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, when multiple insiders sell stock over a specific duration, shareholders should take notice as that could possibly be a red flag.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

HEICO Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Chairman of the Board & CEO, Laurans Mendelson, sold US$4.2m worth of shares at a price of US$166 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$185). When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. While insider selling is not a positive sign, we can't be sure if it does mean insiders think the shares are fully valued, so it's only a weak sign. We note that the biggest single sale was only 0.6% of Laurans Mendelson's holding.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.29k shares for US$204k. On the other hand they divested 49.00k shares, for US$8.2m. In total, HEICO insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. 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 are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

HEICO Insiders Are Selling The Stock

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider selling at HEICO. In total, insiders dumped US$358k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. In light of this it's hard to argue that all the insiders think that the shares are a bargain.

Insider Ownership Of HEICO

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. HEICO insiders own about US$3.1b worth of shares (which is 14% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At HEICO Tell Us?

Insiders sold HEICO shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. But since HEICO is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. The company boasts high insider ownership, but we're a little hesitant, given the history of share sales. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing HEICO. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for HEICO that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

But note: HEICO 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.