Retail investors invested in SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) copped the brunt of last week's US$96m market cap decline
Key Insights
The considerable ownership by retail investors in SoundHound AI indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
47% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders
Every investor in SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 51% to be precise, is retail investors. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
While insiders who own 20% came under pressure after market cap dropped to US$570m last week,retail investors took the most losses.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about SoundHound AI.
Check out our latest analysis for SoundHound AI
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About SoundHound AI?
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 SoundHound AI. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. 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 SoundHound AI's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
Hedge funds don't have many shares in SoundHound AI. Global Catalyst Partners is currently the company's largest shareholder with 16% of shares outstanding. With 8.6% and 7.7% of the shares outstanding respectively, Seyed Emami and Keyvan Mohajer are the second and third largest shareholders. Note that the second and third-largest shareholders are also Top Key Executive and Member of the Board of Directors, respectively, meaning that the company's top shareholders are insiders.
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 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. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.
Insider Ownership Of SoundHound AI
While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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 SoundHound AI, Inc.. Insiders own US$114m worth of shares in the US$570m company. We would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 51% stake in SoundHound AI, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This size of ownership gives investors from the general public some collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions.
Private Equity Ownership
With an ownership of 16%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere.
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 5 warning signs for SoundHound AI (2 shouldn't be ignored) 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.
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.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
