We wouldn't blame Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE:SF) shareholders if they were a little worried about the fact that David Sliney, the Senior VP & COO recently netted about US$2.9m selling shares at an average price of US$116. That sale reduced their total holding by 14% which is hardly insignificant, but far from the worst we've seen.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Stifel Financial

In fact, the recent sale by David Sliney was the biggest sale of Stifel Financial shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So we know that an insider sold shares at around the present share price of US$114. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. We note that this sale took place at around the current price, so it isn't a major concern, though it's hardly a good sign.

Stifel Financial insiders didn't buy any shares over the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

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Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Stifel Financial insiders own 3.4% of the company, currently worth about US$407m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Stifel Financial Insiders?

An insider sold Stifel Financial shares recently, but they didn't buy any. And there weren't any purchases to give us comfort, over the last year. On the plus side, Stifel Financial makes money, and is growing profits. It is good to see high insider ownership, but the insider selling leaves us cautious. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Stifel Financial. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Stifel Financial has 3 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

Of course Stifel Financial 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.