Some Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE:MCB) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the President, Mark DeFazio, recently sold a substantial US$1.0m worth of stock at a price of US$54.78 per share. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 15%, which is notable but not too bad.

Metropolitan Bank Holding Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent sale by President Mark DeFazio was not their only sale of Metropolitan Bank Holding shares this year. Earlier in the year, they fetched US$55.95 per share in a -US$5.1m sale. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$55.13. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 2.73k shares for US$114k. But insiders sold 128.32k shares worth US$7.1m. In total, Metropolitan Bank Holding 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!

I will like Metropolitan Bank Holding 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.

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 Metropolitan Bank Holding insiders own 5.2% of the company, worth about US$32m. 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 Do The Metropolitan Bank Holding Insider Transactions Indicate?

Insiders haven't bought Metropolitan Bank Holding stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We'd practice some caution before buying! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Metropolitan Bank Holding. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Metropolitan Bank Holding.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.