We wouldn't blame Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE:GNW) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Thomas McInerney, the President recently netted about US$1.3m selling shares at an average price of US$6.27. However, that sale only accounted for 3.7% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Genworth Financial

Notably, that recent sale by Thomas McInerney is the biggest insider sale of Genworth Financial shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$6.34). 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. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 3.7% of Thomas McInerney's holding.

Thomas McInerney ditched 600.00k shares over the year. The average price per share was US$6.15. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

I will like Genworth Financial better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Does Genworth Financial Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Genworth Financial insiders own 1.9% of the company, worth about US$54m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Genworth Financial Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Genworth Financial. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for Genworth Financial and we suggest you have a look.

But note: Genworth Financial 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.