Founder Robert Barrie Just Bought A Handful Of Shares In Freelancer Limited (ASX:FLN)

Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Freelancer Limited (ASX:FLN) Founder, Robert Barrie, recently bought AU$53k worth of stock, for AU$0.53 per share. Nevertheless, it only increased their shareholding by a minuscule percentage, and it wasn't a massive purchase by absolute value, either.

See our latest analysis for Freelancer

Freelancer Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Non-Executive Director Simon Alvin Clausen made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for AU$129k worth of shares at a price of AU$0.67 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.52 (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. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. 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 Freelancer insiders were buying shares, but not selling. Their average price was about AU$0.50. Although they bought at below the recent share price, it is good to see that insiders are willing to invest in the company. 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!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Does Freelancer 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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Freelancer insiders own 83% of the company, currently worth about AU$194m 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 Do The Freelancer Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Freelancer insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. One for the watchlist, at least! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Freelancer. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Freelancer that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

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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