Private companies in Kuehne + Nagel International AG (VTX:KNIN) are its biggest bettors, and their bets paid off as stock gained 9.4% last week
editorial-team@simplywallst.com (Simply Wall St)
4 min read
Key Insights
Kuehne + Nagel International's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
To get a sense of who is truly in control of Kuehne + Nagel International AG (VTX:KNIN), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that private companies own the lion's share in the company with 55% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
As a result, private companies were the biggest beneficiaries of last week’s 9.4% gain.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Kuehne + Nagel International.
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Kuehne + Nagel International?
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.
Kuehne + Nagel International already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 Kuehne + Nagel International, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.
SWX:KNIN Earnings and Revenue Growth May 18th 2025
Kuehne + Nagel International is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Kühne Holding AG, with ownership of 55%. With such a huge stake in the ownership, we infer that they have significant control of the future of the company. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 3.1% and 2.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.
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. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.
Insider Ownership Of Kuehne + Nagel International
The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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.
Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.
Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Kuehne + Nagel International AG in their own names. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own CHF20m of stock. Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public-- including retail investors -- own 28% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.
Private Company Ownership
Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 55%, of the company's shares. 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:
It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Kuehne + Nagel International better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Kuehne + Nagel International 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.
