Institutional investors may adopt severe steps after Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation's (NYSE:ACRE) latest 9.9% drop adds to a year losses
Key Insights
Significantly high institutional ownership implies Ares Commercial Real Estate's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions
The top 25 shareholders own 42% of the company
Every investor in Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE:ACRE) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 50% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
And institutional investors endured the highest losses after the company's share price fell by 9.9% last week. Needless to say, the recent loss which further adds to the one-year loss to shareholders of 34% might not go down well especially with this category of shareholders. Institutions or "liquidity providers" control large sums of money and therefore, these types of investors usually have a lot of influence over stock price movements. As a result, if the decline continues, institutional investors may be pressured to sell Ares Commercial Real Estate which might hurt individual investors.
In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Ares Commercial Real Estate.
View our latest analysis for Ares Commercial Real Estate
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Ares Commercial Real Estate?
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.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate. 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. 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 Ares Commercial Real Estate's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
Ares Commercial Real Estate is not owned by hedge funds. Our data shows that BlackRock, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.2% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 5.0% and 2.9%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.
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.
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 are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.
Insider Ownership Of Ares Commercial Real Estate
The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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.
We can report that insiders do own shares in Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation. As individuals, the insiders collectively own US$14m worth of the US$482m 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 48% stake in Ares Commercial Real Estate. 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.
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 example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Ares Commercial Real Estate (2 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
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.
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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