Stock Analysis

    Do Institutions Own GOLO Mobile Inc. (CVE:GOLO) Shares?

    Source: Shutterstock

    A look at the shareholders of GOLO Mobile Inc. (CVE:GOLO) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. I quite like to see at least a little bit of insider ownership. As Charlie Munger said 'Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.

    With a market capitalization of CA$47m, GOLO Mobile is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutional investors have not yet purchased shares. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about GOLO.

    Check out our latest analysis for GOLO Mobile

    TSXV:GOLO Ownership Summary, September 28th 2019
    TSXV:GOLO Ownership Summary, September 28th 2019

    What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About GOLO Mobile?

    Institutional investors often avoid companies that are too small, too illiquid or too risky for their tastes. But it's unusual to see larger companies without any institutional investors.

    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. On the other hand, it's always possible that professional investors are avoiding a company because they don't think it's the best place for their money. GOLO Mobile might not have the sort of past performance institutions are looking for, or perhaps they simply have not studied the business closely.

    TSXV:GOLO Income Statement, September 28th 2019
    TSXV:GOLO Income Statement, September 28th 2019

    We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in GOLO Mobile. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

    Insider Ownership Of GOLO Mobile

    While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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.

    It seems insiders own a significant proportion of GOLO Mobile Inc.. Insiders own CA$9.4m worth of shares in the CA$47m company. 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

    With a 22% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over GOLO. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

    Private Company Ownership

    Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 58%, of the company's shares. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

    Next Steps:

    It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand GOLO Mobile better, we need to consider many other factors.

    I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

    Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. Therefore, you may wish to see our free collection of interesting prospects boasting favorable financials.

    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.

    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.

    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. Thank you for reading.