Retail investors are Regulus Resources Inc.'s (CVE:REG) biggest owners and were rewarded after market cap rose by CA$37m last week

In this article:

Key Insights

  • Significant control over Regulus Resources by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions

  • A total of 12 investors have a majority stake in the company with 49% ownership

  • Insiders own 11% of Regulus Resources

A look at the shareholders of Regulus Resources Inc. (CVE:REG) can tell us which group is most powerful. With 51% stake, retail investors 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).

Clearly, retail investors benefitted the most after the company's market cap rose by CA$37m last week.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Regulus Resources, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for Regulus Resources

ownership-breakdown
TSXV:REG Ownership Breakdown January 1st 2024

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Regulus Resources?

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.

We can see that Regulus Resources does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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 Regulus Resources' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

earnings-and-revenue-growth
TSXV:REG Earnings and Revenue Growth January 1st 2024

It would appear that 22% of Regulus Resources 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. Our data shows that Route One Investment Company, L.P. is the largest shareholder with 22% of shares outstanding. Nuton is the second largest shareholder owning 16% of common stock, and Kevin Heather holds about 3.0% of the company stock. Additionally, the company's CEO John Black directly holds 2.8% of the total shares outstanding.

Our studies suggest that the top 12 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 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. As far as we can tell there isn't analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.

Insider Ownership Of Regulus Resources

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

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 information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Regulus Resources Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just CA$148m, and insiders have CA$16m worth of shares in their own names. 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 -- including retail investors -- own 51% of Regulus Resources. 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 3 warning signs with Regulus Resources (at least 2 which are concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

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.

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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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