Insiders may be rethinking their CA$3.0m Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSE:HBP) investment now that the company has lost CA$5.0m in value

Insiders who bought CA$3.0m worth of Helix BioPharma Corp.'s (TSE:HBP) stock at an average buy price of CA$0.26 over the last year may be disappointed by the recent 15% decrease in the stock. Insiders purchase with the hope of seeing their investments increase in value over time. However, due to recent losses, their initial investment is now only worth CA$2.3m, which is not great.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

See our latest analysis for Helix BioPharma

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Helix BioPharma

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Jerzy Wilczewski bought CA$2.0m worth of shares at a price of CA$0.26 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being CA$0.20). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. Jerzy Wilczewski was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

Jerzy Wilczewski bought a total of 11.55m shares over the year at an average price of CA$0.26. 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!

Helix BioPharma is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Helix BioPharma Boast High Insider Ownership?

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Helix BioPharma insiders own 22% of the company, worth about CA$6.7m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The Helix BioPharma Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Helix BioPharma insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Helix BioPharma. Case in point: We've spotted 5 warning signs for Helix BioPharma you should be aware of, and 2 of them don't sit too well with us.

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.