Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:MTCH). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects.    

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions,  we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Match Group

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CEO & Director Bernard Kim bought US$1.1m worth of shares at a price of US$34.44 per share.    That means that even when the share price was higher than US$31.96 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares.  Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time.  To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares.   As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.    

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$1.2m for 35.44k shares.  But insiders sold 8.74k shares worth US$400k.     In total, Match Group insiders bought more than they sold over the last year.    You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below.  If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

NasdaqGS:MTCH Insider Trading Volume April 23rd 2024

Match Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own.  A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests.   It appears that Match Group insiders own 0.6% of the company, worth about US$49m.  We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.  

What Might The Insider Transactions At Match Group Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Match Group shares in the last quarter.    On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging.   Overall we don't see anything to make us think Match Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares.      In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Match Group.    Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Match Group you should know about.  

But note: Match Group 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.