Insiders who bought CA$247.3k worth of GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. (TSE:GFP) stock in the last year recovered part of their losses as the stock rose by 13% last week. The purchase, however, has proven to be a pricey bet, with losses currently totalling CA$113k.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for GreenFirst Forest Products

GreenFirst Forest Products Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Independent Director Michael Mitchell made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$155k worth of shares at a price of CA$0.79 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than CA$0.30 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels.

While GreenFirst Forest Products insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. They paid about CA$0.56 on average. I'd consider this a positive as it suggests insiders see value at around the current price. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

GreenFirst Forest Products is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of under-the-radar companies with insider buying.

GreenFirst Forest Products Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen a bit of insider buying at GreenFirst Forest Products. Lead Independent Director Marty Proctor shelled out CA$62k for shares in that time. We like it when there are only buyers, and no sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own.

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. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. From looking at our data, insiders own CA$2.1m worth of GreenFirst Forest Products stock, about 3.6% of the company. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.