Why BSQUARE Corporation's (NASDAQ:BSQR) Ownership Structure Is Important

In this analysis, my focus will be on developing a perspective on BSQUARE Corporation’s (NASDAQ:BSQR) latest ownership structure, a less discussed, but important factor. The impact of a company's ownership structure affects both its short- and long-term performance. The same amount of capital coming from an activist institution and a passive mutual fund has different implications on corporate governance, which is a decisive factor for a long-term investor. It also impacts the trading environment of company shares, which is more of a concern for short-term investors. Therefore, I will take a look at BSQR's shareholders in more detail.

Check out our latest analysis for BSQUARE

Institutional Ownership

In BSQR's case, institutional ownership stands at 25.16%, significant enough to cause considerable price moves in the case of large institutional transactions, especially when there is a low level of public shares available on the market to trade. However, as not all institutions are alike, such high volatility events, especially in the short-term, have been more frequently linked to active market participants like hedge funds. Considering hedge funds hold a stake of 7.84% in the company, BSQR shares may experience high short-term volatility as this class of institutions are frequently found to sell significantly during market-wide shocks. But I also examine other ownership types and their potential impact on BSQR's investment case.

Insider Ownership

Insiders form another group of important ownership types as they manage the company's operations and decide the best use of capital. Insider ownership has been linked to better alignment between management and shareholders. BSQR insiders are also influential stakeholders with 5.60% ownership in the company. This level of stake with insiders indicate highly aligned interests of shareholders and company executives. It may be interesting to see what insiders have been doing with their shares lately. Insiders buying shares can be a positive indicator of future performance, but a selling decision can be simply driven by personal financial needs.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a substantial 61.40% stake in BSQR, making it a highly popular stock among retail investors. This size of ownership gives retail investors collective power in deciding on major policy decisions such as executive compensation, appointment of directors and acquisitions of businesses. This level of ownership gives retail investors the power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and potential acquisitions. This is a positive sign for an investor who wants to be involved in key decision-making of the company.

Next Steps:

With significant institutional ownership, including active hedge, existing investors should seek a margin of safety when investing in BSQR. This may enable shareholders to comfortably invest in the company and avoid getting trapped in a sustained sell-off that is often observed in stocks with this level of institutional participation. However, ownership structure should not be the only determining factor when you’re building an investment thesis for BSQR. Instead, you should be evaluating company-specific factors such as the intrinsic valuation, which is a key driver of BSQUARE’s share price. I urge you to complete your research by taking a look at the following:

• 1. Financial Health: Is BSQR’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here.
• 2. Past Track Record: Has BSQR been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of BSQR's historicals for more clarity.
• 3. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

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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Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article 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.