Raymond James Financial Insiders Sold US$12m Of Shares Suggesting Hesitancy

In the last year, many Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE:RJF) insiders sold a substantial stake in the company which may have sparked shareholders’ attention. 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.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

We’ve found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Executive Chair, Paul Reilly, for US$7.1m worth of shares, at about US$167 per share. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$157. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold at a lower price. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it’s not too bad (but it’s still not a positive).

Raymond James Financial 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!

See our latest analysis for Raymond James Financial

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations.

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it’s a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Raymond James Financial insiders own about US$3.4b worth of shares (which is 11% of the company). Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

The fact that there have been no Raymond James Financial insider transactions recently certainly doesn’t bother us. It’s heartening that insiders own plenty of stock, but we’d like to see more insider buying, since the last year of Raymond James Financial insider transactions don’t fill us with confidence. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Raymond James Financial, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.

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.