Multiple insiders secured a larger position in Great-West Lifeco Inc. (TSE:GWO) shares over the last 12 months. This is reassuring as this suggests that insiders have increased optimism about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

Check out our latest analysis for Great-West Lifeco

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Great-West Lifeco

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by President Paul Mahon for CA$1.8m worth of shares, at about CA$27.16 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of CA$37.64. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 138.40k shares for CA$3.8m. On the other hand they divested 89.60k shares, for CA$2.8m. In total, Great-West Lifeco insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Great-West Lifeco is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Great-West Lifeco insiders own about CA$31m worth of shares. That equates to 0.09% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Great-West Lifeco Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Great-West Lifeco insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Great-West Lifeco insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Great-West Lifeco, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Great-West Lifeco 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, 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.