Some Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the CEO & Director, Richard Handler, recently sold a substantial US$65m worth of stock at a price of US$43.50 per share. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 8.2%.

Jefferies Financial Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Richard Handler is the biggest insider sale of Jefferies Financial Group shares that we've seen in the last year. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$43.06. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. Given that the sale took place at around current prices, it makes us a little cautious but is hardly a major concern.

Insiders in Jefferies Financial Group didn't buy any shares in the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Jefferies Financial Group better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Jefferies Financial Group

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. It's great to see that Jefferies Financial Group insiders own 21% of the company, worth about US$1.9b. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Jefferies Financial Group Tell Us?

An insider hasn't bought Jefferies Financial Group stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. 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. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Our analysis shows 3 warning signs for Jefferies Financial Group (1 can't be ignored!) and we strongly recommend you look at them before investing.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.

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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.