Advertisement
Australia markets closed
  • ALL ORDS

    7,837.40
    -100.10 (-1.26%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,575.90
    -107.10 (-1.39%)
     
  • AUD/USD

    0.6534
    +0.0011 (+0.17%)
     
  • OIL

    83.62
    +0.05 (+0.06%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,349.20
    +6.70 (+0.29%)
     
  • Bitcoin AUD

    97,734.86
    -1,114.00 (-1.13%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    1,331.56
    -64.98 (-4.49%)
     
  • AUD/EUR

    0.6106
    +0.0033 (+0.54%)
     
  • AUD/NZD

    1.0993
    +0.0036 (+0.33%)
     
  • NZX 50

    11,805.09
    -141.34 (-1.18%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    17,744.46
    +313.95 (+1.80%)
     
  • FTSE

    8,139.83
    +60.97 (+0.75%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    38,270.26
    +184.46 (+0.48%)
     
  • DAX

    18,161.01
    +243.73 (+1.36%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    17,651.15
    +366.61 (+2.12%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    37,934.76
    +306.28 (+0.81%)
     

Do Directors Own Alpha HPA Limited (ASX:A4N) Shares?

If you want to know who really controls Alpha HPA Limited (ASX:A4N), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. 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.

With a market capitalization of AU$92m, Alpha HPA is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about A4N.

See our latest analysis for Alpha HPA

ASX:A4N Ownership Summary, November 12th 2019
ASX:A4N Ownership Summary, November 12th 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Alpha HPA?

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

As you can see, institutional investors own 6.6% of Alpha HPA. 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. 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 Alpha HPA, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

ASX:A4N Income Statement, November 12th 2019
ASX:A4N Income Statement, November 12th 2019

It would appear that 14% of Alpha HPA shares are controlled by hedge funds. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. As far I can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

Insider Ownership Of Alpha HPA

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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 information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Alpha HPA Limited. Insiders have a AU$20m stake in this AU$92m business. I 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

With a 41% ownership, the general public have some degree of sway over A4N. 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

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 16%, of the company's shares. 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.

I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.