Individual investors own 23% of Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:000703) shares but private companies control 57% of the company

Key Insights

• Significant control over Hengyi Petrochemical by private companies implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• The top 2 shareholders own 52% of the company
• 12% of Hengyi Petrochemical is held by Institutions

Every investor in Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:000703) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that private companies own the lion's share in the company with 57% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Individual investors, on the other hand, account for 23% of the company's stockholders.

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

See our latest analysis for Hengyi Petrochemical

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Hengyi Petrochemical?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Hengyi Petrochemical. 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 Hengyi Petrochemical's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Hengyi Petrochemical is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Zhejiang Hengyi Group Co.,Ltd with 45% of shares outstanding. Hangzhou Hengyi Investment Co., Ltd. is the second largest shareholder owning 7.7% of common stock, and Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd., ESOP holds about 7.5% of the company stock.

A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 2 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 52% stake.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

Insider Ownership Of Hengyi Petrochemical

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. in their own names. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own CN¥155m worth of shares. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 23% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 57%, of the shares on issue. 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:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Hengyi Petrochemical (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.