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Should You Take Comfort From Insider Transactions At Severn Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SVBI)?

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Severn Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:SVBI).

What Is Insider Buying?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own company’s stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'.

View our latest analysis for Severn Bancorp

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Severn Bancorp

The Independent Director David Jones made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$57k worth of shares at a price of US$5.69 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of US$6.24. 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.

Severn Bancorp insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. 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-trading-volume

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

Have Severn Bancorp Insiders Traded Recently?

There was some insider buying at Severn Bancorp over the last quarter. Independent Vice Chairman of the Board Konrad Wayson bought US$6.1k worth of shares in that time. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Severn Bancorp insiders own about US$13m worth of shares. That equates to 16% of the company. 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 Severn Bancorp Tell Us?

We note a that there has been a bit of insider buying recently (but no selling). Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders own shares in Severn Bancorp and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. 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. For example - Severn Bancorp has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Of course Severn Bancorp 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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