Insiders have been selling Netwealth Group Limited (ASX:NWL) recently yet still hold a significant stake; 3.3% drop last week not ideal

Key Insights

• Significant insider control over Netwealth Group implies vested interests in company growth
• 51% of the company is held by a single shareholder (Michael Heine)
• Recent sales by insiders

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Netwealth Group Limited (ASX:NWL), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual insiders own the lion's share in the company with 53% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

And our data suggests that insiders own the top position in the company’s share registry despite recent sales. As a result, they were also the group to endure the biggest losses as the stock fell by 3.3%.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Netwealth Group.

See our latest analysis for Netwealth Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Netwealth Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Netwealth Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. 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 Netwealth Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Netwealth Group. Our data suggests that Michael Heine, who is also the company's Senior Key Executive, holds the most number of shares at 51%. When an insider holds a sizeable amount of a company's stock, investors consider it as a positive sign because it suggests that insiders are willing to have their wealth tied up in the future of the company. With 6.2% and 1.6% of the shares outstanding respectively, Netwealth Investments Ltd. and Matthew Alexander Heine are the second and third largest shareholders. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Matthew Alexander Heine is also a Member of the Board of Directors, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. 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 Netwealth Group

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our information suggests that insiders own more than half of Netwealth Group Limited. This gives them effective control of the company. Given it has a market cap of AU$3.6b, that means insiders have a whopping AU$1.9b worth of shares in their own names. Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You can click here to see if they have been selling down their stake.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 30% stake in Netwealth Group. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Netwealth Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.