Insider Stock Buying Reaches US$1.4m On NBT Bancorp \

Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in NBT Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:NBTB). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects.

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.

View our latest analysis for NBT Bancorp

NBT Bancorp Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Timothy Delaney was the biggest purchase of NBT Bancorp shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$31.73. 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. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 45.06k shares worth US$1.4m. But insiders sold 11.45k shares worth US$483k. Overall, NBT Bancorp insiders were net buyers during the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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

Insiders At NBT Bancorp Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at NBT Bancorp. Not only was there no selling that we can see, but they collectively bought US$1.3m worth of shares. That shows some optimism about the company's future.

Does NBT Bancorp Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 2.3% of NBT Bancorp shares, worth about US$31m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At NBT Bancorp Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of NBT Bancorp we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in NBT Bancorp, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.

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