Significant control over Freegold Ventures by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
35% of the business is held by the top 16 shareholders
To get a sense of who is truly in control of Freegold Ventures Limited (TSE:FVL), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 59% stake, individual investors possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
Following a 15% decrease in the stock price last week, individual investors suffered the most losses, but insiders who own 27% stock also took a hit.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Freegold Ventures.
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Freegold Ventures?
Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.
Less than 5% of Freegold Ventures is held by institutional investors. This suggests that some funds have the company in their sights, but many have not yet bought shares in it. If the business gets stronger from here, we could see a situation where more institutions are keen to buy. 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.
TSX:FVL Earnings and Revenue Growth April 5th 2025
Hedge funds don't have many shares in Freegold Ventures. The company's largest shareholder is Eric Sprott, with ownership of 28%. RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 3.1% of common stock, and Schroder Investment Management Limited holds about 1.1% of the company stock. In addition, we found that J. Walcott, the CEO has 0.5% of the shares allocated to their name.
A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 16 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no single shareholder has a majority.
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. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.
Insider Ownership Of Freegold Ventures
While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.
Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.
It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Freegold Ventures Limited. It has a market capitalization of just CA$413m, and insiders have CA$112m 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
The general public -- including retail investors -- own 59% of Freegold Ventures. This size of ownership gives investors from the general public some collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this freelist of interesting companies.
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.