Those following along with Far East Hotels and Entertainment Limited (HKG:37) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by Derek Chiu, Chairman of the company, who spent a stonking HK$5.7m on stock at an average price of HK$0.48. There’s no denying a buy of that magnitude suggests conviction in a brighter future, although we do note that proportionally it only increased their holding by 6.5%.

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Far East Hotels and Entertainment Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Derek Chiu was the biggest purchase of Far East Hotels and Entertainment shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of HK$0.48. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company’s future. To us, it’s very important to consider the price insiders pay for 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 Far East Hotels and Entertainment insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Check out our latest analysis for Far East Hotels and Entertainment

Far East Hotels and Entertainment is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 30% of Far East Hotels and Entertainment shares, worth about HK$107m. 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 Do The Far East Hotels and Entertainment Insider Transactions Indicate?

The recent insider purchases are heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. However, we note that the company didn’t make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. Once you factor in the high insider ownership, it certainly seems like insiders are positive about Far East Hotels and Entertainment. That’s what I like to see! So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it’s also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. To help with this, we’ve discovered 3 warning signs (1 doesn’t sit too well with us!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Far East Hotels and Entertainment.

But note: Far East Hotels and Entertainment 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.