Painful week for individual investors invested in Hiwin Technologies Corporation (TWSE:2049) after 6.0% drop, institutions also suffered losses

Key Insights

• Significant control over Hiwin Technologies by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• The top 18 shareholders own 50% of the company
• Insiders own 13% of Hiwin Technologies

Every investor in Hiwin Technologies Corporation (TWSE:2049) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 45% stake, individual investors 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).

While institutions who own 33% came under pressure after market cap dropped to NT$99b last week,individual investors took the most losses.

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

View our latest analysis for Hiwin Technologies

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Hiwin 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.

We can see that Hiwin Technologies does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. 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 Hiwin Technologies' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Hiwin Technologies. Our data shows that Hiwin Investment and Holding Corp. is the largest shareholder with 8.1% of shares outstanding. FMR LLC is the second largest shareholder owning 6.2% of common stock, and Fubon Life Insurance Co., Ltd., Asset Management Arm holds about 4.3% of the company stock.

A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 18 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Hiwin 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.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Hiwin Technologies Corporation. It is very interesting to see that insiders have a meaningful NT$13b stake in this NT$99b business. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish to access this free chart showing recent trading by insiders.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 45% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. 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 9.4%, of the Hiwin Technologies stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Hiwin Technologies .

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.