To get a sense of who is truly in control of Okamura Corporation (TSE:7994), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual investors own the lion's share in the company with 47% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
While individual investors were the group that reaped the most benefits after last week’s 9.2% price gain, institutions also received a 36% cut.
Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Okamura, beginning with the chart below.
Check out our latest analysis for Okamura
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.
Okamura 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. 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 Okamura's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Okamura. Okamura Corp., ESOP is currently the company's largest shareholder with 9.7% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 5.6% and 5.2% of the stock.
A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 22 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.
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.
The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.
I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.
Our information suggests that Okamura Corporation insiders own under 1% of the company. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around JP¥464m worth of shares (at current prices). It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.
The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 47% stake in Okamura. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.
We can see that public companies hold 5.6% of the Okamura shares on issue. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.
It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Okamura better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Okamura (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.
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.