Painful week for retail investors invested in AS ONE Corporation (TSE:7476) after 12% drop, institutions also suffered losses

Key Insights

• Significant control over AS ONE by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• A total of 22 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership
• Insiders own 14% of AS ONE

A look at the shareholders of AS ONE Corporation (TSE:7476) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 46% to be precise, is retail investors. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

While the holdings of retail investors took a hit after last week’s 12% price drop, institutions with their 40% holdings also suffered.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about AS ONE.

See our latest analysis for AS ONE

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About AS ONE?

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 ONE already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. 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 AS ONE, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in AS ONE. Hideo Iuchi is currently the company's largest shareholder with 11% of shares outstanding. With 5.1% and 3.9% of the shares outstanding respectively, Resona Bank Ltd., Asset Management Arm and First Eagle Investment Management, LLC are the second and third largest shareholders.

After doing some more digging, we found that the top 22 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company.

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 AS ONE

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in AS ONE Corporation. It has a market capitalization of just JP¥168b, and insiders have JP¥23b worth of shares in their own names. That's quite significant. 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

With a 46% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over AS ONE. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with AS ONE , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

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.