A number of Peoples Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBO) insiders sold their shares in the last year, which may have raised concerns among investors. Knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more helpful when evaluating insider transactions, as insider selling can have various explanations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

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.

Peoples Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider sale was by the President, Tyler Wilcox, for US$250k worth of shares, at about US$29.01 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$30.80. When an insider sells below the current price, it suggests that they considered that lower price to be fair. That makes us wonder what they think of the (higher) recent valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. This single sale was just 18% of Tyler Wilcox's stake.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 6.70k shares for US$176k. On the other hand they divested 18.32k shares, for US$555k. In total, Peoples Bancorp insiders sold more than they bought 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!

I will like Peoples Bancorp better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued and small cap stocks with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Insiders At Peoples Bancorp Have Sold Stock Recently

We've seen more insider selling than insider buying at Peoples Bancorp recently. In that time, insiders dumped US$222k worth of shares. Meanwhile Independent Director Dwight Smith bought US$15k worth. Generally this level of net selling might be considered a bit bearish.

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. 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 3.8% of Peoples Bancorp shares, worth about US$42m. 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 Peoples Bancorp Insiders?

Unfortunately, there has been more insider selling of Peoples Bancorp stock, than buying, in the last three months. Zooming out, the longer term picture doesn't give us much comfort. But it is good to see that Peoples Bancorp is growing earnings. While insiders do own shares, they don't own a heap, and they have been selling. So we'd only buy after careful consideration. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. When we did our research, we found 2 warning signs for Peoples Bancorp (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that we believe deserve your full attention.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com