今年早些時候買入股票的內部人士虧損12.8億美元，Verve Treateutics，Inc.(納斯達克代碼：VERV)跌至7.61億美元

The recent price decline of 7.5% in Verve Therapeutics, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:VERV) stock may have disappointed insiders who bought US$483k worth of shares at an average price of US$21.27 in the past 12 months. Insiders purchase with the hope of seeing their investments increase in value over time. However, due to recent losses, their initial investment is now only worth US$355k, which is not great.

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.

See our latest analysis for Verve Therapeutics

Verve Therapeutics Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Chairman of the Board Burt Adelman for US$147k worth of shares, at about US$31.34 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$15.63 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Verve Therapeutics insiders were buying shares, but not selling. Their average price was about US$21.27. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. 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 always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Verve Therapeutics Insiders Bought Stock Recently

It's good to see that Verve Therapeutics insiders have made notable investments in the company's shares. We can see that Independent Chairman of the Board Burt Adelman paid US$122k for shares in the company. No-one sold. This is a positive in our book as it implies some confidence.

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 10% of Verve Therapeutics shares, worth about US$77m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Verve Therapeutics Tell Us?

It is good to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. Insiders likely see value in Verve Therapeutics shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Verve Therapeutics you should be aware of, and 2 of these are significant.

Of course Verve Therapeutics may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality 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, but not derivative transactions.

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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.