While institutions invested in Bioceltix S.A. (WSE:BCX) benefited from last week's 11% gain, retail investors stood to gain the most

Key Insights

• Significant control over Bioceltix by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• The top 10 shareholders own 41% of the company
• 18% of Bioceltix is held by Institutions

Every investor in Bioceltix S.A. (WSE:BCX) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 59% 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).

Following a 11% increase in the stock price last week, retail investors profited the most, but institutions who own 18% stock also stood to gain from the increase.

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

Check out our latest analysis for Bioceltix

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bioceltix?

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 Bioceltix. 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 Bioceltix, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Bioceltix is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is Kvarko ASI Sp. z o. o., with ownership of 9.6%. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 7.5% and 7.4% of the stock.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 10 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

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

Insider Ownership Of Bioceltix

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.

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.

We can see that insiders own shares in Bioceltix S.A.. In their own names, insiders own zł31m worth of stock in the zł423m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but we usually like to see higher insider holdings. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 59% stake in Bioceltix, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This size of ownership gives investors from the general public some collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions.

Private Equity Ownership

Private equity firms hold a 9.6% stake in Bioceltix. This suggests they can be influential in key policy decisions. 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.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 5.2%, of the Bioceltix stock. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Bioceltix better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Bioceltix (1 is a bit unpleasant) that 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.