Even if it's not a huge purchase, we think it was good to see that Christopher Petermann, the Independent Director of Kearny Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:KRNY) recently shelled out US$61k to buy stock, at US$6.14 per share. That purchase might not be huge but it did increase their holding by 22%.

View our latest analysis for Kearny Financial

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Kearny Financial

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Curtland Fields bought US$86k worth of shares at a price of US$8.45 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of US$6.67. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 66.98k shares for US$515k. On the other hand they divested 9.20k shares, for US$77k. In total, Kearny Financial insiders bought more than they sold over 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!

Kearny Financial is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Kearny Financial Boast High Insider Ownership?

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. It appears that Kearny Financial insiders own 5.0% of the company, worth about US$21m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Kearny Financial Insiders?

The recent insider purchase is heartening. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. Insiders likely see value in Kearny Financial shares, given these transactions (along with notable insider ownership of the company). So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Kearny Financial you should be aware of.

Of course Kearny Financial may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

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.

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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.