Stantec Inc. (TSE:STN) insiders placed bullish bets worth CA$1.5m in the last 12 months

Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Stantec Inc. (TSE:STN), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Stantec

Stantec Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when President Gordon Johnston bought CA$537k worth of shares at a price of CA$53.71 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of CA$64.13. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

In the last twelve months Stantec insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. 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.

Stantec Insiders Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Stantec insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Overall, three insiders shelled out CA$195k for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Insider Ownership of Stantec

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. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 0.5% of Stantec shares, worth about CA$38m. 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 Does This Data Suggest About Stantec Insiders?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Stantec we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

But note: Stantec may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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.

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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