To get a sense of who is truly in control of Samsung Card Co., Ltd. (KRX:029780), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 78% stake, public companies 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).
Individual investors, on the other hand, account for 13% of the company's stockholders.
Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Samsung Card, beginning with the chart below.
View our latest analysis for Samsung Card
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.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Samsung Card. 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. 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 Samsung Card, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.
Samsung Card is not owned by hedge funds. Samsung Life Insurance Co., Ltd. is currently the largest shareholder, with 78% of shares outstanding. With such a huge stake in the ownership, we infer that they have significant control of the future of the company. National Pension Service is the second largest shareholder owning 6.6% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 0.9% of the company stock.
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. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.
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.
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 information suggests that Samsung Card Co., Ltd. insiders own under 1% of the company. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own ₩542m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.
With a 13% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Samsung Card. 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 78% of the Samsung Card shares on issue. It's hard to say for sure but this suggests they have entwined business interests. This might be a strategic stake, so it's worth watching this space for changes in ownership.
While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Samsung Card has 4 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit concerning) we think you should know about.
If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report 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.
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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.