Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in Gibson Energy Inc. (TSE:GEI). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Gibson Energy

Gibson Energy Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO, President & Non-Independent Director Curtis Philippon for CA$1.0m worth of shares, at about CA$22.34 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being CA$22.18). 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. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 68.54k shares worth CA$1.5m. On the other hand they divested 35.69k shares, for CA$713k. In total, Gibson Energy 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. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insiders At Gibson Energy Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at Gibson Energy. Overall, three insiders shelled out CA$1.3m for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Does Gibson Energy Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 0.4% of Gibson Energy shares, worth about CA$16m. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders.