Yahoo Finance With a 57% stake, Sono Group N.V. (NASDAQ:SEV) insiders have a lot riding on the company
A look at the shareholders of Sono Group N.V. (NASDAQ:SEV) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 57% to be precise, is individual insiders. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
With such a notable stake in the company, insiders would be highly incentivised to make value accretive decisions.
In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Sono Group.
See our latest analysis for Sono Group
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Sono 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.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Sono Group. 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. 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 Sono Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.
We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Sono Group. Because actions speak louder than words, we consider it a good sign when insiders own a significant stake in a company. In Sono Group's case, its Co-Chief Executive Officer, Laurin Hahn, is the largest shareholder, holding 25% of shares outstanding. With 23% and 4.6% of the shares outstanding respectively, Jona Christians and Marita Hansen are the second and third largest shareholders. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Jona Christians is also Co-Chief Executive Officer, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.
A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 3 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 53% stake.
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 Sono Group
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.
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.
It seems that insiders own more than half the Sono Group N.V. stock. This gives them a lot of power. That means they own US$141m worth of shares in the US$248m company. That's quite meaningful. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish todiscover (for free) if they have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public-- including retail investors -- own 35% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.
Next Steps:
It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Sono Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks for example - Sono Group has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are potentially serious) we think you should know about.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
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