Investors who take an interest in Helloworld Travel Limited (ASX:HLO) should definitely note that the COO & Executive Director, Cinzia Burnes, recently paid AU$1.72 per share to buy AU$516k worth of the stock. While that's a very decent purchase to our minds, it was proportionally a bit modest, boosting their holding by just 3.0%.

View our latest analysis for Helloworld Travel

Helloworld Travel Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Cinzia Burnes is the biggest insider purchase of Helloworld Travel shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is AU$1.73. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. 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 Helloworld Travel share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

In the last twelve months Helloworld Travel insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 15% of Helloworld Travel shares, worth about AU$42m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Helloworld Travel Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Insiders likely see value in Helloworld Travel 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. For example - Helloworld Travel has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

But note: Helloworld Travel 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.

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.