TriNet Group, Inc. (NYSE:TNET) shareholders (or potential shareholders) will be happy to see that the President, Michael Simonds, recently bought a whopping US$993k worth of stock, at a price of US$73.59. That purchase boosted their holding by 195%, which makes us wonder if the move was inspired by quietly confident deeply-felt optimism.

View our latest analysis for TriNet Group

TriNet Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Michael Simonds is the biggest insider purchase of TriNet Group shares that we've seen in the last year. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is US$75.62. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider bought shares at close to current prices. Michael Simonds was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.

Over the last year we saw more insider selling of TriNet Group shares, than buying. 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!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Insiders own 1.8% of TriNet Group shares, worth about US$66m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.

So What Do The TriNet Group Insider Transactions Indicate?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. However, the longer term transactions are not so encouraging. We don't take much heart from transactions by TriNet Group insiders over the last year. But they own a reasonable amount of the company, and there was some buying recently. In short they are likely aligned with shareholders. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 2 warning signs for TriNet Group and we suggest you have a look.

But note: TriNet Group 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.

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.