We'd be surprised if Five Star Bancorp (NASDAQ:FSBC) shareholders haven't noticed that the President, James Beckwith, recently sold US$455k worth of stock at US$26.95 per share. On the bright side, that sale was only 3.3% of their holding, so we doubt it's very meaningful, on its own.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Five Star Bancorp

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Director Lawrence Allbaugh for US$3.0m worth of shares, at about US$21.75 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of US$27.59. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$5.7m for 263.53k shares. But insiders sold 20.36k shares worth US$557k. Overall, Five Star Bancorp insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.

Does Five Star Bancorp Boast High 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. It's great to see that Five Star Bancorp insiders own 25% of the company, worth about US$144m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Five Star Bancorp Insiders?

Insiders sold Five Star Bancorp shares recently, but they didn't buy any. On the other hand, the insider transactions over the last year are encouraging. We are also comforted by the high levels of insider ownership. So the recent selling doesn't worry us. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Five Star Bancorp and understanding these 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.