Yahoo Finance Retail investors among Sayona Mining Limited's (ASX:SYA) largest stockholders and were hit after last week's 24% price drop
Key Insights
Significant control over Sayona Mining by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
The top 25 shareholders own 50% of the company
To get a sense of who is truly in control of Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that retail investors own the lion's share in the company with 50% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
And following last week's 24% decline in share price, retail investors suffered the most losses.
Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Sayona Mining, beginning with the chart below.
View our latest analysis for Sayona Mining
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Sayona Mining?
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.
Sayona Mining 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Sayona Mining's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Sayona Mining. Piedmont Lithium Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 22% of shares outstanding. State Street Global Advisors, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 5.0% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 3.6% of the company stock.
Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder.
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. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.
Insider Ownership Of Sayona Mining
While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.
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.
Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Sayona Mining Limited. As individuals, the insiders collectively own AU$22m worth of the AU$432m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.
General Public Ownership
The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 50% stake in Sayona Mining. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.
Public Company Ownership
It appears to us that public companies own 23% of Sayona Mining. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.
Next Steps:
While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Sayona Mining (1 is potentially serious) that you should be aware of.
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.
