Bukit Sembawang Estates' significant individual investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
A total of 14 investors have a majority stake in the company with 49% ownership
Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company
If you want to know who really controls Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited (SGX:B61), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 51% to be precise, is individual investors. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
Meanwhile, private companies make up 43% of the company’s shareholders.
In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Bukit Sembawang Estates.
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bukit Sembawang Estates?
Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.
We can see that Bukit Sembawang Estates does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Bukit Sembawang Estates, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.
SGX:B61 Earnings and Revenue Growth March 20th 2025
Bukit Sembawang Estates is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Selat (Pte) Limited with 29% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 8.5% and 4.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.
Our studies suggest that the top 14 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder.
While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. As far as we can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.
Insider Ownership Of Bukit Sembawang Estates
The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.
I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.
Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited in their own names. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. It appears that the board holds about S$5.9m worth of stock. This compares to a market capitalization of S$932m. Many tend to prefer to see a board with bigger shareholdings. A good next step might be to take a look at this free summary of insider buying and selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, collectively holds 51% of Bukit Sembawang Estates shares. With this amount of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in decisions that affect shareholder returns, such as dividend policies and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to vote on acquisitions or mergers that may not improve profitability.
Private Company Ownership
We can see that Private Companies own 43%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.
Next Steps:
I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Bukit Sembawang Estates (1 is significant) that you should be aware of.
NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.
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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.
