Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) shareholders may have reason to be concerned, as several insiders sold their shares over the past year. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Grand Canyon Education

The Senior VP, Lori Browning, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$296k worth of shares at a price of US$148 each. So what is clear is that an insider saw fit to sell at around the current price of US$143. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. 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.

Grand Canyon Education 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Insiders At Grand Canyon Education Have Sold Stock Recently

The last three months saw significant insider selling at Grand Canyon Education. Specifically, Independent Director Chevy Humphrey ditched US$80k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any purchases whatsoever. This may suggest that some insiders think that the shares are not cheap.

Insider Ownership Of Grand Canyon Education

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. Insiders own 2.2% of Grand Canyon Education shares, worth about US$88m. 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 Grand Canyon Education Insiders?

An insider sold Grand Canyon Education shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. On the plus side, Grand Canyon Education makes money, and is growing profits. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. We'd practice some caution before buying! Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Grand Canyon Education, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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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.