Multiple insiders secured a larger position in MDU Resources Group, Inc. (NYSE:MDU) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism 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 MDU Resources Group

MDU Resources Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The President of WBI Energy Rob Johnson made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$924k worth of shares at a price of US$25.46 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$29.19. Because the shares were purchased at a lower price, this particular buy doesn't tell us much about how insiders feel about the current share price.

In the last twelve months MDU Resources Group insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap 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 MDU Resources Group insiders own 1.1% of the company, worth about US$69m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About MDU Resources Group Insiders?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded MDU Resources Group shares in the last quarter. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think MDU Resources Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing MDU Resources Group. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for MDU Resources Group you should be aware of, and 1 of these is a bit unpleasant.

But note: MDU Resources Group 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.