We wouldn't blame Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that Eugene Hall, the CEO & Chairman recently netted about US$17m selling shares at an average price of US$505. However, it's crucial to note that they remain very much invested in the stock and that sale only reduced their holding by 2.9%.

Gartner Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent sale by Eugene Hall is the biggest insider sale of Gartner shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was selling shares at below the current price (US$507). 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. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. It is worth noting that this sale was only 2.9% of Eugene Hall's holding.

Gartner insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

I will like Gartner 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.

Does Gartner Boast High 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. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Gartner insiders own 3.1% of the company, currently worth about US$1.2b based on the recent share price. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Gartner Insiders?

Insiders haven't bought Gartner stock in the last three months, but there was some selling. And even if we look at the last year, we didn't see any purchases. While insiders do own a lot of shares in the company (which is good), our analysis of their transactions doesn't make us feel confident about the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Gartner. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Gartner you should be aware of.

But note: Gartner 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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