Some Ladder Capital Corp (NYSE:LADR) shareholders may be a little concerned to see that the Founder, Pamela McCormack, recently sold a substantial US$1.2m worth of stock at a price of US$12.17 per share. However, that sale only accounted for 8.7% of their holding, so arguably it doesn't say much about their conviction.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Ladder Capital

In fact, the recent sale by Pamela McCormack was the biggest sale of Ladder Capital shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$11.77. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Ladder Capital insiders own 12% of the company, worth about US$175m. 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 Do The Ladder Capital Insider Transactions Indicate?

An insider hasn't bought Ladder Capital stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. Despite some insider buying, the longer term picture doesn't make us feel much more positive. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. 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 help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Ladder Capital.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com