The recent 3.2% gain must have brightened Top Key Executive Davuluri Rama Rao's week, Neuland Laboratories Limited's (NSE:NEULANDLAB) most bullish insider

Key Insights

• Significant insider control over Neuland Laboratories implies vested interests in company growth
• 52% of the business is held by the top 9 shareholders
• Institutions own 21% of Neuland Laboratories

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Neuland Laboratories Limited (NSE:NEULANDLAB), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 38% to be precise, is individual insiders. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

As a result, insiders scored the highest last week as the company hit ₹178b market cap following a 3.2% gain in the stock.

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

View our latest analysis for Neuland Laboratories

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Neuland Laboratories?

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.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Neuland Laboratories. 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. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Neuland Laboratories, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Neuland Laboratories. From our data, we infer that the largest shareholder is Davuluri Rama Rao (who also holds the title of Top Key Executive) with 26% 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 6.1% and 3.8% of the stock. Additionally, the company's CEO Davuluri Rao directly holds 3.3% of the total shares outstanding.

We did some more digging and found that 9 of the top shareholders account for roughly 52% of the register, implying that along with larger shareholders, there are a few smaller shareholders, thereby balancing out each others interests somewhat.

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 Neuland Laboratories

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.

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.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Neuland Laboratories Limited. Insiders own ₹67b worth of shares in the ₹178b 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 34% stake in Neuland Laboratories. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Equity Ownership

With an ownership of 6.1%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere.

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. Be aware that Neuland Laboratories is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

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.