A handful of ASX dividend shares have seen insider transactions in recent weeks, with executives and board members either increasing or decreasing stakes in the companies they oversee.

Insider buys can sometimes indicate those 'with the know' believe their stock is undervalued or poised for growth.

That said, these transactions can also be unrelated to any market view or cycle. Let's take a closer look at which insiders have been buying up ASX dividend shares.

Insiders buy up ASX dividend shares

Two of the big banks saw insider activity in the past month or so.

Mary Louise Padbury, director of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA), acquired 75 additional shares on February 13, 2025.

Padbury acquired the line of stock at a price of $166.35 per share.

This transaction was part of the Non-Executive Director Share Plan (NEDP), which allows directors to invest more in the company.

CBA shares currently pay a $4.50 per share trailing dividend.

In the last 12 months, the ASX dividend share has held onto a 24% gain, outpacing the broader market in that time.

Meanwhile, on February 26, National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) CEO Andrew Irvine made a series of changes to his holdings.

While he sold 31,000 shares on the open market for just over $1.09 million, he also transferred 125,317 shares into personal and superannuation accounts.

The ASX dividend share trades on a trailing yield of more than 4.8% at the time of writing.

After closing at 52-week highs of $41.24 on 13 February, the stock is now at $34.48 apiece after a sharp decline.

Directors mine Rio Tinto shares

Banking isn't the only sector that's seen insider activity lately. Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) has also seen multiple insider buys over the past two weeks.

Director Dean Dalla Valle purchased 420 shares on February 25 at $119 per share, followed by another 424 shares the next day at $117.15 per share.

Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz, another Rio Tinto director, also added 653 shares on February 28 at an average price of $114.65.

Meanwhile, Rio Tinto chair Dominic Barton increased his stake by 800 shares on February 27 at $116.65 apiece.

Rio Tinto shares were last at $114.84 apiece. They have slipped nearly 5% into the red over the past year of trade and pay a trailing dividend of $6.15 apiece.

Foolish Takeaway

Insiders have been changing their stakes in these ASX dividend shares over the past few weeks.

While insider buys don't guarantee future stock performance, they are certainly worth taking note of.