In the last year, many Salesforce, Inc. (NYSE:CRM) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders’ attention. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.
Although we don’t think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.
View our latest analysis for Salesforce
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Salesforce
The Co-Founder, Marc Benioff, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$53m worth of shares at a price of US$182 each. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. It’s of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$163. So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it.
Salesforce insiders didn’t buy any shares 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!
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership
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. Salesforce insiders own 3.1% of the company, currently worth about US$5.1b based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
So What Does This Data Suggest About Salesforce Insiders?
The fact that there have been no Salesforce insider transactions recently certainly doesn’t bother us. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Salesforce, we can’t say the same about the selling of shares. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it’s also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 3 warning signs for Salesforce that deserve your attention before buying any shares.
But note: Salesforce 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, but not derivative transactions.
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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.
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