We'd be surprised if Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE:KOP) shareholders haven't noticed that an insider, Joseph Dowd, recently sold US$208k worth of stock at US$37.72 per share. The eyebrow raising move amounted to a reduction of 35% in their holding.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Koppers Holdings

The President & COO, James Sullivan, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$967k worth of shares at a price of US$44.22 each. While we don't usually like to see insider selling, it's more concerning if the sales take place at a lower price. It's of some comfort that this sale was conducted at a price well above the current share price, which is US$37.64. So it may not tell us anything about how insiders feel about the current share price.

Koppers Holdings insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Insider Ownership Of Koppers Holdings

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Koppers Holdings insiders own 4.2% of the company, worth about US$33m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Koppers Holdings Insiders?

Insiders sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. Insiders own shares, but we're still pretty cautious, given the history of sales. We're in no rush to buy! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Koppers Holdings. Be aware that Koppers Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

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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.