Who Are The Major Shareholders In ParkerVision Inc (PRKR)?

In this article, I’m going to take a look at ParkerVision Inc’s (NASDAQ:PRKR) latest ownership structure, a non-fundamental factor which is important, but remains a less discussed subject among investors. A company’s ownership structure is often linked to its share performance in both the long- and short-term. Since the same amount of capital coming from an activist institution and a passive mutual fund has different implications on corporate governance, it is a useful exercise to deconstruct XYZ’s shareholder registry. All data provided is as of the most recent financial year end.

Check out our latest analysis for ParkerVision

NasdaqCM:PRKR Ownership Summary Nov 15th 17
NasdaqCM:PRKR Ownership Summary Nov 15th 17

Institutional Ownership

In PRKR’s case, institutional ownership stands at 12.23%, significant enough to cause considerable price moves in the case of large institutional transactions, especially when there is a low level of public shares available on the market to trade. These moves, at least in the short-term, are generally observed in an institutional ownership mix comprising of active stock pickers, in particular levered hedge funds, which can cause large price swings. Considering hedge funds hold a stake of 5.77% in the company, PRKR shares may experience high short-term volatility as this class of institutions are frequently found to sell significantly during market-wide shocks. But I also examine other ownership types and their potential impact on PRKR’s investment case.

Insider Ownership

I find insiders are another important group of stakeholders, who are directly involved in making key decisions related to the use of capital. In essence, insider ownership is more about the alignment of shareholders’ interests with the management. PRKR insiders are also influential stakeholders with 5.25% ownership in the company. This level of stake with insiders indicate highly aligned interests of shareholders and company executives. However, it would be interesting to take a look at their buying and selling activities lately. Buying may be sign of upbeat future expectations, but selling doesn’t necessarily mean the opposite as the insiders may be motivated by financial needs or they are simply diversifying their risk.

NasdaqCM:PRKR Insider Trading Nov 15th 17
NasdaqCM:PRKR Insider Trading Nov 15th 17

General Public Ownership

A big stake of 71.72% in PRKR is held by the general public. This size of ownership gives retail investors collective power in deciding on major policy decisions such as executive compensation, appointment of directors and acquisitions of businesses. This level of ownership gives retail investors the power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and potential acquisitions. This is a positive sign for an investor who wants to be involved in key decision-making of the company.

Private Company Ownership

Another group of owners that a potential investor in PRKR should consider are private companies, with a stake of 5.03%. While they invest more often due to strategic interests, an investment can also be driven by capital gains through share price appreciation. With this size of ownership in PRKR, this ownership class can affect the company’s business strategy. As a result, potential investors should further explore the company’s business relations with these companies and find out if they can affect shareholder returns in the long-term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? With significant institutional ownership, including active hedge, existing investors should seek a margin of safety when investing in PRKR. This may enable shareholders to comfortably invest in the company and avoid getting trapped in a sustained sell-off that is often observed in stocks with this level of institutional participation. If you’re looking to diversify your holdings with high-quality stocks, our free analysis platform has a selection of high-quality stocks with a strong growth potential.

Are you a potential investor? Ownership structure should not be the only focus of your research when constructing an investment thesis around PRKR. Instead, you should be evaluating fundamental factors like the relative valuation of PRKR, which is an important driver that determines PRKR’s share price. Take a look at our most recent infographic report on PRKR for a more in-depth analysis of these factors to help you make a more well-informed investment decision.

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.
To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.

The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.

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