We wouldn't blame UFP Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPT) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that R. Bailly, the CEO & Chairman recently netted about US$14m selling shares at an average price of US$317. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 18%, which is notable but not too bad.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At UFP Technologies

In fact, the recent sale by R. Bailly was the biggest sale of UFP Technologies shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$326. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 18% of R. Bailly's stake.

In total, UFP Technologies 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 want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

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Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. UFP Technologies insiders own about US$123m worth of shares (which is 4.9% 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.

So What Does This Data Suggest About UFP Technologies Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought UFP Technologies stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing UFP Technologies. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for UFP Technologies and we suggest you have a look.

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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.