Significant control over Life360 by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
38% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders
To get a sense of who is truly in control of Life360, Inc. (ASX:360), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 56% to be precise, is retail investors. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).
Following a 3.5% increase in the stock price last week, retail investors profited the most, but institutions who own 39% stock also stood to gain from the increase.
Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Life360, beginning with the chart below.
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Life360?
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.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Life360. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Life360's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
ASX:360 Earnings and Revenue Growth April 21st 2025
We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Life360. Paradice Investment Management Pty Ltd. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 4.9% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 4.8% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.6% by the third-largest shareholder. Furthermore, CEO Christopher Hulls is the owner of 2.5% of the company's shares.
On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.
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. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.
Insider Ownership Of Life360
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.
Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Life360, Inc.. This is a big company, so it is good to see this level of alignment. Insiders own AU$265m worth of shares (at current prices). If you would like to explore the question of insider alignment, you can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, collectively holds 56% of Life360 shares. This level of ownership gives investors from the wider public some power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio.
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. Take risks for example - Life360 has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this freereport on analyst forecasts.
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.
