In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) stock, indicating that insiders' optimism about the company's prospects has increased.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Norfolk Southern

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Norfolk Southern

The Independent Chairman Claude Mongeau made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$1.2m worth of shares at a price of US$221 each. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of US$259. Because it occurred at a lower valuation, it doesn't tell us much about whether insiders might find today's price attractive.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 22.01k shares for US$5.0m. On the other hand they divested 4.54k shares, for US$1.0m. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Norfolk Southern insiders. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, 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 Norfolk Southern Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Norfolk Southern insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. In total, insiders bought US$513k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. That shows some optimism about the company's future.

Does Norfolk Southern Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. It appears that Norfolk Southern insiders own 0.1% of the company, worth about US$69m. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Norfolk Southern Tell Us?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Norfolk Southern we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Norfolk Southern that deserve your attention before buying any shares.