In this analysis, my focus will be on developing a perspective on Toro Energy Limited’s (ASX:TOE) latest ownership structure, a less discussed, but important factor. The impact of a company’s ownership structure affects both its short- and long-term performance. Differences in ownership structure of companies can have a profound effect on how management’s incentives are aligned with shareholder returns, and whether they adhere to corporate governance best practices. Although this is an important factor for long-term investors, many investors can also be impacted by institutional presence and their high-volume trading. Therefore, it is beneficial for us to examine TOE’s ownership structure in more detail.
Check out our latest analysis for Toro EnergyInstitutional Ownership
Institutional investors typically buy and sell shares in large magnitudes which can significantly sway the share price, especially when there are relatively small amounts of shares available on the market to trade. TOE hardly has any institutional ownership, leaving investors little to think about sharp price volatility in the stock that could take place due to institutional trading.Insider Ownership
I find insiders are another important group of stakeholders, who are directly involved in making key decisions related to the use of capital. In essence, insider ownership is more about the alignment of shareholders’ interests with the management. Although individuals in TOE hold only a 2.33% stake, it’s a good sign for shareholders as the company’s executives and directors have their incentives directly linked to the company’s performance. In addition to this, it may be interesting to look at insider buying and selling activities. Keep in mind that buying may be sign of upbeat future expectations, but selling doesn’t necessarily mean the opposite as the insiders might just be doing it out of their personal financial needs.General Public Ownership
The general public holds a substantial 36.97% stake in TOE, making it a highly popular stock among retail investors. This size of ownership gives retail investors collective power in deciding on major policy decisions such as executive compensation, appointment of directors and acquisitions of businesses. This level of ownership gives retail investors the power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and potential acquisitions. This is a positive sign for an investor who wants to be involved in key decision-making of the company.Private Equity Ownership
Private equity firms hold a 18.14% stake in TOE. With a stake of this size, they can be influential in key policy decisions. An investor should be encouraged by the ownership of these institutions who are known to be experts in increasing efficiency, improving capital structure and opting for value-accretive policy decisions.Private Company Ownership
Potential investors in TOE should also look at another important group of investors: private companies, with a stake of 1.08%, who are primarily invested because of strategic and capital gain interests. However, an ownership of this size may be relatively insignificant, meaning that these shareholders may not have the potential to influence TOE’s business strategy. Thus, investors not need worry too much about the consequences of these holdings.Next Steps:
Institutional ownership level and composition in TOE is not high nor active enough to significantly impact its investment thesis. However, ownership structure should not be the only determining factor when you’re building an investment thesis for TOE. Rather, you should be looking at fundamental drivers such as Toro Energy’s past track record and financial health. I highly recommend you to complete your research by taking a look at the following:
- Financial Health: Is TOE’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here.
- Past Track Record: Has TOE been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of TOE’s historicals for more clarity.
- Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.