January 4, 2025
The fact that multiple The Home Depot, Inc. ( NYSE:HD ) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more beneficial than knowing whether they are selling, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. 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.
See our latest analysis for Home Depot
The insider, John Deaton, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$5.5m worth of shares at a price of US$363 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at slightly below the current price (US$389). As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower 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. It is worth noting that this sale was 62% of John Deaton's holding.
Home Depot insiders didn't buy any shares 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!
For those who like to find hidden gems this free list of small cap companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
The last quarter saw substantial insider selling of Home Depot shares. In total, insiders dumped US$334k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. Overall this makes us a bit cautious, but it's not the be all and end all.
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Home Depot insiders own about US$211m worth of shares (which is 0.05% 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.
Insiders haven't bought Home Depot stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Home Depot. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Home Depot and we suggest you have a look.
Of course Home Depot may not be the best stock to buy . So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content?
Get in touch
with us directly.
Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
