Key Insights

The considerable ownership by retail investors in Crew Energy indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy 41% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders Insiders have bought recently

Every investor in Crew Energy Inc. (TSE:CR) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are retail investors with 58% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Hedge funds, on the other hand, account for 17% of the company's stockholders.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Crew Energy.

Check out our latest analysis for Crew Energy  ownership-breakdown

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Crew Energy?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

Crew Energy 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. 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 Crew Energy's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. earnings-and-revenue-growth

It would appear that 17% of Crew Energy shares are controlled by hedge funds. That worth noting, since hedge funds are often quite active investors, who may try to influence management. Many want to see value creation (and a higher share price) in the short term or medium term. The company's largest shareholder is Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC, with ownership of 17%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 5.5% and 4.9%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. In addition, we found that Dale Shwed, the CEO has 4.8% of the shares allocated to their name.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There is a little analyst coverage of the stock, but not much. So there is room for it to gain more coverage.

Insider Ownership Of Crew Energy

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. 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.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Crew Energy Inc.. Insiders own CA$88m worth of shares in the CA$760m company. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can  click here to see if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 58% stake in Crew Energy, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This level of ownership gives investors from the wider public some power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and the dividend payout ratio.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk.  We've identified 1 warning sign  with Crew Energy , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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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