Stock Analysis

    What Percentage Of Top Global Limited (SGX:BHO) Shares Do Insiders Own?

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    If you want to know who really controls Top Global Limited (SGX:BHO), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Warren Buffett said that he likes 'a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people'. So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented.

    With a market capitalization of S$58m, Top Global is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutional investors have not yet purchased shares. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about Top Global.

    Check out our latest analysis for Top Global

    SGX:BHO Ownership Summary, February 11th 2020
    SGX:BHO Ownership Summary, February 11th 2020
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    What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Top Global?

    Small companies that are not very actively traded often lack institutional investors, but it's less common to see large companies without them.

    There could be various reasons why no institutions own shares in a company. Typically, small, newly listed companies don't attract much attention from fund managers, because it would not be possible for large fund managers to build a meaningful position in the company. It is also possible that fund managers don't own the stock because they aren't convinced it will perform well. Institutional investors may not find the historic growth of the business impressive, or there might be other factors at play. You can see the past revenue performance of Top Global, for yourself, below.

    SGX:BHO Income Statement, February 11th 2020
    SGX:BHO Income Statement, February 11th 2020

    We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Top Global. From our data, we infer that the largest shareholder is Siu Oei (who also holds the title of Senior Key Executive) with 77% of shares outstanding. Its usually considered a good sign when insiders own a significant number of shares in the company, and in this case, we're glad to see a company insider play the role of a key stakeholder. The second and third largest shareholders are Ali Santoso and Teo Kim Poon, holding 0.4% and 0.4%, 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. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

    Insider Ownership Of Top Global

    While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 most recent data indicates that insiders own the majority of Top Global Limited. This means they can collectively make decisions for the company. So they have a S$46m stake in this S$58m business. It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently.

    General Public Ownership

    The general public holds a 20% stake in BHO. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

    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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Top Global (including 1 which is is potentially serious) .

    If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

    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.

    If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

    We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.