Retail investors invested in Pinetree Capital Ltd. (TSE:PNP) up 16% last week, insiders too were rewarded

Key Insights

• The considerable ownership by retail investors in Pinetree Capital indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
• 51% of the business is held by the top 3 shareholders
• Insiders have sold recently

We've discovered 2 warning signs about Pinetree Capital. View them for free.

A look at the shareholders of Pinetree Capital Ltd. (TSE:PNP) can tell us which group is most powerful. With 48% stake, retail investors 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).

While retail investors were the group that reaped the most benefits after last week’s 16% price gain, insiders also received a 42% cut.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Pinetree Capital, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Pinetree Capital

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Pinetree Capital?

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.

We can see that Pinetree Capital does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Pinetree Capital's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Pinetree Capital is not owned by hedge funds. With a 34% stake, CEO Damien Leonard is the largest shareholder. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 8.3% and 8.0%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Peter Tolnai is also a Member of the Board of Directors, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 3 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

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. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Insider Ownership Of Pinetree Capital

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

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 insiders maintain a significant holding in Pinetree Capital Ltd.. Insiders have a CA$75m stake in this CA$177m business. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 48% stake in Pinetree Capital. 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:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Pinetree Capital (of which 1 is potentially serious!) you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

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.