Is C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. (CVE:CMI) Popular Amongst Insiders?

A look at the shareholders of C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. (CVE:CMI) 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. 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.

C-Com Satellite Systems is a smaller company with a market capitalization of CA$166m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions don't own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about C-Com Satellite Systems.

See our latest analysis for C-Com Satellite Systems

What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About C-Com Satellite Systems?

We don't tend to see institutional investors holding stock of companies that are very risky, thinly traded, or very small. Though we do sometimes see large companies without institutions on the register, it's not particularly common.

There are many reasons why a company might not have any institutions on the share registry. It may be hard for institutions to buy large amounts of shares, if liquidity (the amount of shares traded each day) is low. If the company has not needed to raise capital, institutions might lack the opportunity to build a position. Alternatively, there might be something about the company that has kept institutional investors away. C-Com Satellite Systems might not have the sort of past performance institutions are looking for, or perhaps they simply have not studied the business closely.

C-Com Satellite Systems is not owned by hedge funds. With a 38% stake, CEO Leslie Klein is the largest shareholder. Bilal Awada is the second largest shareholder owning 1.7% of common stock, and Ronald Leslie holds about 1.2% of the company stock. Interestingly, the second and third-largest shareholders also happen to be the Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, respectively. This once again signifies considerable insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

Our studies suggest that the top 6 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

Insider Ownership Of C-Com Satellite Systems

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of C-Com Satellite Systems Inc.. Insiders own CA$69m worth of shares in the CA$166m company. I would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public -- mostly retail investors -- own 58% of C-Com Satellite Systems. With this size of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in decisions that affect shareholder returns, such as dividend policies and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to decline an acquisition or merger that may not improve profitability.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for C-Com Satellite Systems (1 is potentially serious) that you should be aware of.

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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