We wouldn't blame Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE:CRL) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Richard Wallman, the Independent Director recently netted about US$1.6m selling shares at an average price of US$216. That's a big disposal, and it decreased their holding size by 40%, which is notable but not too bad.

Charles River Laboratories International Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Richard Wallman is the biggest insider sale of Charles River Laboratories International shares that we've seen in the last year. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$207. While insider selling is a negative, to us, it is more negative if the shares are sold 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).

In total, Charles River Laboratories International insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Insider Ownership Of Charles River Laboratories International

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Charles River Laboratories International insiders own about US$117m worth of shares (which is 1.1% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Charles River Laboratories International Tell Us?

An insider sold stock recently, but they haven't been buying. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. 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. While conducting our analysis, we found that Charles River Laboratories International has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them.

Of course Charles River Laboratories International may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

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.