Insider Sells Analog Devices Shares

A Form 4 filing filed with the SEC on Friday, December 4 showed that SVP & CFO Mahendra-Rajah Prashanth sold 1,790 shares of Analog Devices Inc ADI at an average price of $140.58. The transaction moved the executive's stake in Analog Devices Inc. to 13,394 shares. Analog Devices was trading 2.1% higher from the previous closing price.

The Importance of Insider Transactions

While transactions from an insider shouldn't be used as the sole item to make an investment or trading decision, an insider buying or selling stock in their company can be a good added factor that leads to more conviction in a decision.

Insiders buying stock after a notable sell off can indicate an insider's long-term belief in the success of the company; insiders buying stock at new highs can be an indication the exec doesn't feel the stock is overvalued. Insiders who sell stock at new lows could be anticipating some capitulation moment. If the insider sells at new highs, it could point to the intention to "take some profit" and "lock in a gain."

Important Transaction Codes

Wall Street tends to focus on insider transactions which take place in the open market, viewed inside a Form 4 filing via codes P for purchase and S for sale. If the transaction was an open-market transaction, that means that the insider made a concious decision for the company's stock moving forward.

Transaction codes other than P or S are often viewed with less conviction as they are often not tied to a decision by the exec. As an example, transaction code C indicates the conversion of an option. Transaction code A indicates the insider may have been forced to sell shares in order to receive compensation the exec was promised upon being hired by a company.