State or government in Bank Ochrony Srodowiska S.A. (WSE:BOS) are its biggest bettors, and their bets paid off as stock gained 13% last week

Key Insights

• Bank Ochrony Srodowiska's significant state or government ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
• The largest shareholder of the company is National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management with a 58% stake
• Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

A look at the shareholders of Bank Ochrony Srodowiska S.A. (WSE:BOS) can tell us which group is most powerful. With 64% stake, state or government possess the maximum shares in the company. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

As a result, state or government were the biggest beneficiaries of last week’s 13% gain.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Bank Ochrony Srodowiska, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Bank Ochrony Srodowiska

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bank Ochrony Srodowiska?

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.

Bank Ochrony Srodowiska already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. 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 Bank Ochrony Srodowiska's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Bank Ochrony Srodowiska. National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management is currently the company's largest shareholder with 58% of shares outstanding. This implies that they have majority interest control of the future of the company. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 8.6% and 5.5% of the stock.

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. 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 Bank Ochrony Srodowiska

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.

Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Given we are not picking up on insider ownership, we may have missing data. Therefore, it would be interesting to assess the CEO compensation and tenure, here.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 27% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. 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. Take risks for example - Bank Ochrony Srodowiska has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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.