CEO & Director Matthaios Rigas Just Bought A Handful Of Shares In Energean plc (LON:ENOG)

Potential Energean plc (LON:ENOG) shareholders may wish to note that the CEO & Director, Matthaios Rigas, recently bought UK£227k worth of stock, paying UK£5.68 for each share. Although the purchase is not a big one, by either a percentage standpoint or absolute value, it can be seen as a good sign.

Check out our latest analysis for Energean

Energean Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Non-Executive Director Efstathios Topouzoglou for UK£968k worth of shares, at about UK£7.93 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being UK£4.87). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

In the last twelve months Energean insiders were buying shares, but not selling. Their average price was about UK£6.10. This is nice to see since it implies that insiders might see value around current prices. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by 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!

Energean is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

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. Energean insiders own about UK£201m worth of shares (which is 23% of the company). 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 Energean Insiders?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Energean insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. Nice! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Be aware that Energean is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

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, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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