Why IODM Limited’s (ASX:IOD) Ownership Structure Is Important

In This Article:

I am going to take a deep dive into IODM Limited’s (ASX:IOD) most recent ownership structure, not a frequent subject of discussion among individual investors. Ownership structure has been found to have an impact on shareholder returns in both short- and long-term. 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 IOD’s shareholder registry.

Check out our latest analysis for IODM

ASX:IOD Ownership_summary Jun 8th 18
ASX:IOD Ownership_summary Jun 8th 18

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 1.58% puts IOD on a list of companies that are not likely exposed to spikes in volatility resulting from institutional trading.

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. 45.66% ownership of IOD insiders is large enough to make an impact on shareholder returns. In general, this level of insider ownership has negatively affected underperforming (consistently low PE ratio) companies and positively affected the companies that outperform (consistently high PE ratio). It’s also interesting to learn what IOD insiders have been doing with their shareholdings lately. Insiders buying company shares can be a positive indicator of future performance, but a selling decision can simply be driven by personal financial needs.

ASX:IOD Insider_trading Jun 8th 18
ASX:IOD Insider_trading Jun 8th 18

General Public Ownership

A big stake of 30.84% in IOD 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

Another group of owners that a potential investor in IOD should consider are private companies, with a stake of 21.92%. While they invest more often due to strategic interests, an investment can also be driven by capital gains through share price appreciation. This kind of ownership, if predominantly strategic, can give these companies a significant power to affect IOD’s business strategy. Thus, potential investors should look into these business relations and check how it can impact long-term shareholder returns.