In this analysis, my focus will be on developing a perspective on City of London Group plc’s (AIM:CIN) latest ownership structure, a less discussed, but important factor. The impact of a company’s ownership structure affects both its short- and long-term performance. Differences in ownership structure of companies can have a profound effect on how management’s incentives are aligned with shareholder returns, which is why we’ll take a moment to analyse XYZ’s shareholder registry. All data provided is as of the most recent financial year end.
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Institutional Ownership
Institutional investors transact in large blocks which can influence the momentum of stock prices, at least in the short-term, especially when there is a low level of public shares available on the market to trade. A low institutional ownership of 9.12% puts CIN on a list of companies that are not likely exposed to spikes in volatility resulting from institutional trading. Less covered stocks like CIN used to feature in legendary investor Peter Lynch’s portfolio, which would later be bought up by fast-following institutions as the stock gained more popularity.
Insider Ownership
Another important group of shareholders are company insiders. Insider ownership has to do more with how the company is managed and less to do with the direct impact of the magnitude of shares trading on the market. With 9.29% ownership, CIN insiders is an important ownership type. This level of stake with insiders indicate highly aligned interests of shareholders and company executives. However, it would be interesting to take a look at their buying and selling activities lately. Buying may be sign of upbeat future expectations, but selling doesn’t necessarily mean the opposite as the insiders may be motivated by financial needs or they are simply diversifying their risk.
General Public Ownership
A substantial ownership of 434.90% in CIN is held by the general public. With this size of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in major company policies that affect shareholders returns, including executive remuneration and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to decline an acquisition or merger that may not improve profitability.
Private Company Ownership
Potential investors in CIN should also look at another important group of investors: private companies, with a stake of 4.57%, who are primarily invested because of strategic and capital gain interests. However, an ownership of this size may be relatively insignificant, meaning that these shareholders may not have the potential to influence CIN’s business strategy. Thus, investors not need worry too much about the consequences of these holdings.