Charles Youakim Sezzle Inc.'s (ASX:SZL) CEO is the most bullish insider, and their stock value gained 40%last week

Simply Wall St

Sat, Mar 25, 2023, 6:36 PM 4 min read

Key Insights

Insiders appear to have a vested interest in Sezzle's growth, as seen by their sizeable ownership
The top 3 shareholders own 52% of the company
Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business

A look at the shareholders of Sezzle Inc. (ASX:SZL) can tell us which group is most powerful. With 49% stake, individual insiders possess the maximum shares in the company. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

As a result, insiders scored the highest last week as the company hit AU$153m market cap following a 40% gain in the stock.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Sezzle, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Sezzle

ownership-breakdown — ASX:SZL Ownership Breakdown March 25th 2023

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Sezzle?

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.

Institutions have a very small stake in Sezzle. That indicates that the company is on the radar of some funds, but it isn't particularly popular with professional investors at the moment. So if the company itself can improve over time, we may well see more institutional buyers in the future. We sometimes see a rising share price when a few big institutions want to buy a certain stock at the same time. The history of earnings and revenue, which you can see below, could be helpful in considering if more institutional investors will want the stock. Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider, too.

earnings-and-revenue-growth — ASX:SZL Earnings and Revenue Growth March 25th 2023

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Sezzle. The company's CEO Charles Youakim is the largest shareholder with 42% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 4.8% and 4.7%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Paul Paradis is also Top Key Executive, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 3 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Sezzle

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Sezzle Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just AU$153m, and insiders have AU$76m worth of shares in their own names. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 46% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Sezzle. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Sezzle , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

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