Zen Technologies Limited's (NSE:ZENTEC) most bullish insider is CEO Ashok Atluri, and their holdings value went up by 11% last week

Key Insights

• Significant insider control over Zen Technologies implies vested interests in company growth
• 51% of the business is held by the top 5 shareholders
• 10% of Zen Technologies is held by Institutions

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Zen Technologies Limited (NSE:ZENTEC), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 52% stake, individual insiders possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Clearly, insiders benefitted the most after the company's market cap rose by ₹16b last week.

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

Check out our latest analysis for Zen Technologies

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Zen Technologies?

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 Zen Technologies. 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 Zen Technologies' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Zen Technologies is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Ashok Atluri with 24% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 19% and 3.0%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Kishore Atluri is also Co-Chief Executive Officer, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 5 shareholders control more than half of the company which implies that this group has considerable sway over the company's decision-making.

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 is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.

Insider Ownership Of Zen Technologies

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

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 information suggests that insiders own more than half of Zen Technologies Limited. This gives them effective control of the company. Given it has a market cap of ₹170b, that means insiders have a whopping ₹89b worth of shares in their own names. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish to discover if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 36% stake in Zen Technologies. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Zen Technologies that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.