Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that John Schaffer, the Chairman & MD of Schaffer Corporation Limited (ASX:SFC) recently shelled out AU$81k to buy stock, at AU$18.06 per share. Although the purchase is not a big one, by either a percentage standpoint or absolute value, it can be seen as a good sign.

Check out our latest analysis for Schaffer

Schaffer Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by John Schaffer was the biggest purchase of Schaffer shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is AU$18.10. 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 Schaffer share holders is that an insider was buying at near the current price. The only individual insider to buy over the last year was John Schaffer.

The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

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.

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's great to see that Schaffer insiders own 53% of the company, worth about AU$129m. I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Schaffer Tell Us?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Schaffer insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. That's what I like to see! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Schaffer. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Schaffer (1 is significant) you should be aware of.