Some LeMaitre Vascular, Inc. (NASDAQ:LMAT) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Chairman & CEO, George LeMaitre, recently sold a substantial US$7.5m worth of stock at a price of US$75.48 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 4.6%.

LeMaitre Vascular Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by George LeMaitre is the biggest insider sale of LeMaitre Vascular shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even slightly below the current price of US$76.00. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was only 4.6%of George LeMaitre's holding.

LeMaitre Vascular insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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Insider Ownership Of LeMaitre Vascular

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. LeMaitre Vascular insiders own 10% of the company, currently worth about US$171m based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About LeMaitre Vascular Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Looking to the last twelve months, our data doesn't show any insider buying. But it is good to see that LeMaitre Vascular is growing earnings. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing LeMaitre Vascular. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 1 warning sign with LeMaitre Vascular and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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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.