Viewing insider transactions for Columbus McKinnon Corporation's (NASDAQ:CMCO ) over the last year, we see that insiders were net sellers. This means that a larger number of shares were sold by insiders in relation to shares purchased.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

Columbus McKinnon Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Senior Vice President of Global Product Development & Marketing, Mario Ramos Lara, for US$349k worth of shares, at about US$38.50 per share. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$37.37. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place 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). Mario Ramos Lara was the only individual insider to sell shares in the last twelve months.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.52k shares for US$59k. On the other hand they divested 9.07k shares, for US$349k. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Columbus McKinnon better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Columbus McKinnon Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Columbus McKinnon insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Overall, two insiders shelled out US$59k for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Columbus McKinnon Boast High Insider Ownership?

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 1.7% of Columbus McKinnon shares, worth about US$17m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Columbus McKinnon Tell Us?

It is good to see recent purchasing. However, the longer term transactions are not so encouraging. While recent transactions indicate confidence in Columbus McKinnon, insiders don't own enough of the company to overcome our cautiousness about the longer term transactions. Overall they seem reasonably aligned. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Columbus McKinnon.

But note: Columbus McKinnon 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 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.

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