In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) stock, indicating that insiders' optimism about the company's prospects has increased.

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.

View our latest analysis for WesBanco

WesBanco Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Robert Fitzsimmons bought US$575k worth of shares at a price of US$23.10 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of US$24.79 per share to be enticing. 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. The good news for WesBanco share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 36.00k shares for US$856k. But insiders sold 6.88k shares worth US$274k. Overall, WesBanco insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

WesBanco 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 WesBanco Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Insiders own 3.3% of WesBanco shares, worth about US$48m. 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 Does This Data Suggest About WesBanco 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. Insiders do have a stake in WesBanco and their transactions don't cause us concern. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for WesBanco you should know about.