Banco Comercial Português, S.A.'s (ELI:BCP) top owners are private companies with 40% stake, while 39% is held by individual investors

Key Insights

• The considerable ownership by private companies in Banco Comercial Português indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
• A total of 7 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership
• Institutions own 20% of Banco Comercial Português

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To get a sense of who is truly in control of Banco Comercial Português, S.A. (ELI:BCP), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. With 40% stake, private companies possess the maximum shares in the company. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Meanwhile, individual investors make up 39% of the company’s shareholders.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Banco Comercial Português.

See our latest analysis for Banco Comercial Português

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Banco Comercial Português?

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

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Banco Comercial Português. Fosun International Holdings Ltd. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 20% of shares outstanding. Sonangol EP is the second largest shareholder owning 20% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 2.6% of the company stock.

We also observed that the top 7 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.

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. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Banco Comercial Português

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.

Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Not all jurisdictions have the same rules around disclosing insider ownership, and it is possible we have missed something, here. So you can click here learn more about the CEO.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 39% stake in Banco Comercial Português. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 40%, of the Banco Comercial Português 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:

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 - Banco Comercial Português has 2 warning signs 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.