Antipa Minerals Limited (ASX:AZY) insiders who purchased shares in the last 12 months were richly rewarded last week. The stock climbed by 19% resulting in a AU$34m addition to the company’s market value. As a result, their original purchase of AU$210.1k worth of stock is now worth AU$418.0k.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

View our latest analysis for Antipa Minerals

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Antipa Minerals

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent & Non-Executive Director Gary Johnson for AU$165k worth of shares, at about AU$0.025 per share. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (AU$0.038), we still think insider buying is a positive. 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.

While Antipa Minerals insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. They paid about AU$0.019 on average. We don't deny that it is nice to see insiders buying stock in the company. However, you should keep in mind that they bought when the share price was meaningfully below today's levels. 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!

Antipa Minerals is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying.

Insiders At Antipa Minerals Have Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Antipa Minerals insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. Specifically, Independent & Non-Executive Director Gary Johnson bought AU$165k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Antipa Minerals Boast High Insider Ownership?

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Our data indicates that Antipa Minerals insiders own about AU$11m worth of shares (which is 5.4% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Antipa Minerals Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. Insiders likely see value in Antipa Minerals shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Antipa Minerals you should be aware of, and 2 of them can't be ignored.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

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 of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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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.