Individual investors account for 52% of Northland Power Inc.'s (TSE:NPI) ownership, while institutions account for 48%

Key Insights

• Significant control over Northland Power by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• The top 25 shareholders own 43% of the company
• Recent purchases by insiders

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Northland Power Inc. (TSE:NPI), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual investors own the lion's share in the company with 52% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Institutions, on the other hand, account for 48% of the company's stockholders. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time.

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

View our latest analysis for Northland Power

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Northland Power?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Northland Power already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Northland Power's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Northland Power. BMO Asset Management Corp. is currently the largest shareholder, with 9.8% of shares outstanding. RBC Global Asset Management Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 4.1% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 3.9% of the company stock.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

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. 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 Northland Power

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

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that Northland Power Inc. insiders own under 1% of the company. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own CA$5.2m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, collectively holds 52% of Northland Power shares. This size of ownership gives investors from the general public some collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions.

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 4 warning signs for Northland Power (2 shouldn't be ignored) that you should be aware of.

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.