Is Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBIO) Popular Amongst Insiders?
The big shareholder groups in Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:FBIO) have power over the company. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. 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.
Fortress Biotech is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of US$406m, which means it wouldn't have the attention of many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Fortress Biotech.
Check out our latest analysis for Fortress Biotech
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Fortress Biotech?
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.
Fortress Biotech 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 Fortress Biotech's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
Our data indicates that hedge funds own 9.2% of Fortress Biotech. That's interesting, because hedge funds can be quite active and activist. Many look for medium term catalysts that will drive the share price higher. Because actions speak louder than words, we consider it a good sign when insiders own a significant stake in a company. In Fortress Biotech's case, its Senior Key Executive, Michael Weiss, is the largest shareholder, holding 11% of shares outstanding. With 11% and 9.2% of the shares outstanding respectively, Lindsay Rosenwald and Nantahala Capital Management, LLC are the second and third largest shareholders. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Lindsay Rosenwald is also Chief Executive Officer, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.
We also observed that the top 8 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.
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. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.
Insider Ownership Of Fortress Biotech
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.
Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Fortress Biotech, Inc.. Insiders have a US$121m stake in this US$406m business. 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, with a 36% stake in the company, will not 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:
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. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Fortress Biotech that you should be aware of.
Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.
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.
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. 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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