Insider Buying: Randal Kirk Just Spent US$10m On AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQB) Shares

NASDAQ:AQB) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by insider Randal Kirk, who spent a stonking US$10m on stock at an average price of US$2.50. That increased their holding by a full 72%, which arguably implies the sort of confidence required for a shy sweet-natured nerd to ask the most popular kid in the school to go out on a date.” data-reactid=”28″>Those following along with AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AQB) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by insider Randal Kirk, who spent a stonking US$10m on stock at an average price of US$2.50. That increased their holding by a full 72%, which arguably implies the sort of confidence required for a shy sweet-natured nerd to ask the most popular kid in the school to go out on a date.

Check out our latest analysis for AquaBounty Technologies ” data-reactid=”29″>Check out our latest analysis for AquaBounty Technologies

AquaBounty Technologies Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Randal Kirk was the biggest purchase of AquaBounty Technologies shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$2.55 per share to be enticing. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company’s future. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it’s a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. Happily, the AquaBounty Technologies insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

While AquaBounty Technologies insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn’t sell. They paid about US$1.94 on average. To my mind it is good that insiders have invested their own money in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today’s levels. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

list of growing companies that insiders are buying.” data-reactid=”49″>There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership of AquaBounty Technologies

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it’s a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. AquaBounty Technologies insiders own about US$26m worth of shares. That equates to 23% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it’s enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About AquaBounty Technologies Insiders?

4 warning signs for AquaBounty Technologies (of which 2 are potentially serious!) you should know about.” data-reactid=”53″>It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But we don’t feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest AquaBounty Technologies insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it’s also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Every company has risks, and we’ve spotted 4 warning signs for AquaBounty Technologies (of which 2 are potentially serious!) you should know about.

list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.” data-reactid=”54″>But note: AquaBounty Technologies 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.