A look at the shareholders of Janison Education Group Limited (ASX:JAN) can tell us which group is most powerful. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. I generally like to see some degree of insider ownership, even if only a little. As Nassim Nicholas Taleb said, ‘Don’t tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio.
Janison Education Group is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of AU$163m, which means it wouldn’t have the attention of many institutional investors. In the chart below, we can see that institutional investors have bought into the company. Let’s delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about Janison Education Group.
See our latest analysis for Janison Education Group
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Janison Education Group?
Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.
We can see that Janison Education Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company’s stock. 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 Janison Education Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.
Hedge funds don’t have many shares in Janison Education Group. Because actions speak louder than words, we consider it a good sign when insiders own a significant stake in a company. In Janison Education Group’s case, its Top Key Executive, Wayne Houlden, is the largest shareholder, holding 28% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 8.5% and 0.8% of the stock. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Michael Hill is also a Chairman of the Board, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company’s top shareholders.
On studying our ownership data, we found that 13 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.
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 is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.
Insider Ownership Of Janison Education Group
The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.
I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.
Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Janison Education Group Limited. Insiders own AU$65m worth of shares in the AU$163m company. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public– including retail investors — own 36% 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.
Next Steps:
While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We’ve identified 2 warning signs with Janison Education Group , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
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.