Yoda PLC's (CSE:YODA): Top Key Executive Ioannis Papalekas is the most bullish insider, and their stock value gained 3.3% last week

Key Insights

• Yoda's significant insider ownership suggests inherent interests in company's expansion
• Ioannis Papalekas owns 71% of the company
• Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

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To get a sense of who is truly in control of Yoda PLC (CSE:YODA), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual insiders own the lion's share in the company with 71% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

As a result, insiders scored the highest last week as the company hit €2.8b market cap following a 3.3% gain in the stock.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Yoda.

See our latest analysis for Yoda

What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Yoda?

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 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. Alternatively, there might be something about the company that has kept institutional investors away. Yoda might not have the sort of past performance institutions are looking for, or perhaps they simply have not studied the business closely.

Yoda is not owned by hedge funds. From our data, we infer that the largest shareholder is Ioannis Papalekas (who also holds the title of Top Key Executive) with 71% of shares outstanding. Its usually considered a good sign when insiders own a significant number of shares in the company, and in this case, we're glad to see a company insider play the role of a key stakeholder. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 0.02% and 0.02% of the stock. Note that two of the top three shareholders are also Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, respectively, once again pointing to significant ownership by company insiders.

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. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Yoda

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.

It seems that insiders own more than half the Yoda PLC stock. This gives them a lot of power. Insiders own €2.0b worth of shares in the €2.8b company. That's extraordinary! Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You can click here to see if they have been selling down their stake.

General Public Ownership

With a 29% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Yoda. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

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. Take risks for example - Yoda has 4 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think 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.