While individual investors own 26% of SITC International Holdings Company Limited (HKG:1308), private companies are its largest shareholders with 41% ownership

Key Insights

• SITC International Holdings' significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
• The top 3 shareholders own 55% of the company
• Insiders own 11% of SITC International Holdings

A look at the shareholders of SITC International Holdings Company Limited (HKG:1308) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 41% to be precise, is private companies. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

And individual investors on the other hand have a 26% ownership in the company.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of SITC International Holdings.

View our latest analysis for SITC International Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About SITC International Holdings?

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 SITC International Holdings. 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see SITC International Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

SITC International Holdings is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that Better Master Investments Limited is the largest shareholder with 41% of shares outstanding. With 9.0% and 4.7% of the shares outstanding respectively, Xianxiang Yang and BlackRock, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders. Xianxiang Yang, who is the second-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Top Key Executive.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 3 shareholders collectively control more than half of the company's shares, implying that they have considerable power to influence the company's decisions.

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. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of SITC International Holdings

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of SITC International Holdings Company Limited. It is very interesting to see that insiders have a meaningful HK$6.7b stake in this HK$59b business. Most would say this shows a good degree of alignment with shareholders, especially in a company of this size. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 26% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over SITC International Holdings. 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

It seems that Private Companies own 41%, of the SITC International Holdings stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with SITC International Holdings .

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.