Country Garden Services Holdings Company Limited (HKG:6098) surges 3.8%; retail investors who own 52% shares profited along with institutions

Key Insights

• The considerable ownership by retail investors in Country Garden Services Holdings indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
• The top 25 shareholders own 47% of the company
• Insider ownership in Country Garden Services Holdings is 16%

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Country Garden Services Holdings Company Limited (HKG:6098), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are retail investors with 52% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

While retail investors were the group that reaped the most benefits after last week’s 3.8% price gain, institutions also received a 32% cut.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Country Garden Services Holdings.

See our latest analysis for Country Garden Services Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Country Garden Services Holdings?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Country Garden Services Holdings. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. 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 Country Garden Services Holdings' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Country Garden Services Holdings is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Guoqiang Public Welfare Foundation (Hong Kong) Limited, Endowment Arm, with ownership of 20%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 16% and 2.7%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.

Our studies suggest that the top 25 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.

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. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Country Garden Services Holdings

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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 insiders own a significant proportion of Country Garden Services Holdings Company Limited. Insiders own HK$2.8b worth of shares in the HK$17b company. That's quite meaningful. It is good to see this level of investment. You can check here to see if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 52% stake in Country Garden Services Holdings, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. With this amount 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 vote on acquisitions or mergers that may not improve profitability.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Country Garden Services Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks for example - Country Garden Services Holdings has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.