Insiders who bought TriMas Corporation (NASDAQ:TRS) stock in the last 12 months were richly rewarded last week. The company's market value increased by US$122m as a result of the stock's 12% gain over the same period. In other words, the original US$845.9k purchase is now worth US$939.8k.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

See our latest analysis for TriMas

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At TriMas

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Independent Chairman of the Board Herbert Parker bought US$475k worth of shares at a price of US$26.52 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$28.21. 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. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. The good news for TriMas share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$846k for 33.31k shares. But insiders sold 10.04k shares worth US$255k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by TriMas insiders. 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!

TriMas is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Have TriMas Insiders Traded Recently?

We've only seen a tiny insider purchase valued at US$2.2k, in the last three months. So it is hard to draw any conclusion about how insiders are feeling about the stock, from these recent trades.

Does TriMas Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 6.6% of TriMas shares, worth about US$75m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.