Insiders who bought Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Limited (HKG:8223) in the last 12 months may probably not pay attention to the stock's recent 11% drop. After taking the recent loss into consideration, the CN¥19.8m worth of stock they bought is now worth CN¥22.2m, indicating that their investment yielded a positive return.

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.

See our latest analysis for Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group

Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Executive Director Zhiwei Tian made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for HK$20m worth of shares at a price of HK$1.32 each. Even though the purchase was made at a significantly lower price than the recent price (HK$1.48), we still think insider buying is a positive. While it does suggest insiders consider the stock undervalued at lower prices, this transaction doesn't tell us much about what they think of current prices.

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!

Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group 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 Of Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group

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. Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group insiders own about HK$466m worth of shares (which is 73% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. 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 that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored).

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.