Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZNTL), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

View our latest analysis for Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Independent Chairman of the Board David Johnson made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$168k worth of shares at a price of US$9.88 each. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (US$12.31), we still think insider buying is a positive. 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 22.00k shares for US$219k. But insiders sold 4.90k shares worth US$56k. In total, Zentalis Pharmaceuticals insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Boast High 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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that Zentalis Pharmaceuticals insiders own 2.3% of the company, worth about US$20m. 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 Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Zentalis Pharmaceuticals insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. Insiders do have a stake in Zentalis Pharmaceuticals and their transactions don't cause us concern. 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. To assist with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals.