We'd be surprised if The Duckhorn Portfolio, Inc. (NYSE:NAPA) shareholders haven't noticed that the Interim President, Deirdre Mahlan, recently sold US$274k worth of stock at US$9.23 per share. That sale was 21% of their holding, so it does make us raise an eyebrow.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Duckhorn Portfolio

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the Executive VP & Chief Sales Officer, Pete Przybylinski, for US$1.0m worth of shares, at about US$10.01 per share. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$9.31. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. 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, Duckhorn Portfolio 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!

I will like Duckhorn Portfolio better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Duckhorn Portfolio

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 3.3% of Duckhorn Portfolio shares, worth about US$36m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Duckhorn Portfolio Insiders?

Insiders sold Duckhorn Portfolio shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And our longer term analysis of insider transactions didn't bring confidence, either. But since Duckhorn Portfolio is profitable and growing, we're not too worried by this. Insider ownership isn't particularly high, so this analysis makes us cautious about the company. We're in no rush to buy! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Duckhorn Portfolio that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

But note: Duckhorn Portfolio 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.