Are Insiders Buying Aptinyx Inc. (NASDAQ:APTX) Stock?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Aptinyx Inc. (NASDAQ:APTX).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.

View our latest analysis for Aptinyx

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Aptinyx

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Chairman of the Board Patrick Enright bought US$285k worth of shares at a price of US$3.00 per share. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$4.73. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

Aptinyx insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Aptinyx insiders own 5.2% of the company, worth about US$11m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Do The Aptinyx Insider Transactions Indicate?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Aptinyx shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Aptinyx and their transactions don't cause us concern. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Be aware that Aptinyx is showing 5 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us...

Of course Aptinyx 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, 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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