Institutional investors in Liberty Live Group (NASDAQ:LLYV.K) have had a wonderful week after share price increased 3.0%

Key Insights

• Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Liberty Live Group's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions
• 51% of the business is held by the top 10 shareholders
• Past performance of a company along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business

Every investor in Liberty Live Group (NASDAQ:LLYV.K) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 72% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

As a result, institutional investors scored the highest last week as the company hit US$3.5b market cap following a 3.0% gain in the stock.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Liberty Live Group, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Liberty Live Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Liberty Live Group?

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.

Liberty Live Group 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. 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 Liberty Live Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Liberty Live Group. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. with 18% of shares outstanding. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 7.3% of common stock, and Barclays PLC Private Banking & Investment Banking Investment holds about 5.5% of the company stock.

We did some more digging and found that 10 of the top shareholders account for roughly 51% of the register, implying that along with larger shareholders, there are a few smaller shareholders, thereby balancing out each others interests somewhat.

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. 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 Liberty Live Group

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our information suggests that Liberty Live Group insiders own under 1% of the company. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around US$9.4m worth of shares (at current prices). It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

With a 10% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Liberty Live Group. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Public Company Ownership

It appears to us that public companies own 18% of Liberty Live Group. It's hard to say for sure but this suggests they have entwined business interests. This might be a strategic stake, so it's worth watching this space for changes in ownership.

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. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Liberty Live Group (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com