Can We See Significant Insider Ownership On The Etruscus Resources Corp. (CNSX:ETR) Share Register?

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A look at the shareholders of Etruscus Resources Corp. (CNSX:ETR) can tell us which group is most powerful. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. 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.'

With a market capitalization of CA$8.7m, Etruscus Resources is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions are not on the share registry. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about ETR.

See our latest analysis for Etruscus Resources

CNSX:ETR Ownership Summary, August 1st 2019
CNSX:ETR Ownership Summary, August 1st 2019

What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Etruscus Resources?

Small companies that are not very actively traded often lack institutional investors, but it's less common to see large companies without them.

There are many reasons why a company might not have any institutions on the share registry. It may be hard for institutions to buy large amounts of shares, if liquidity (the amount of shares traded each day) is low. If the company has not needed to raise capital, institutions might lack the opportunity to build a position. It is also possible that fund managers don't own the stock because they aren't convinced it will perform well. Etruscus Resources's earnings and revenue track record (below) may not be compelling to institutional investors -- or they simply might not have looked at the business closely.

CNSX:ETR Income Statement, August 1st 2019
CNSX:ETR Income Statement, August 1st 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Etruscus Resources. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Insider Ownership Of Etruscus Resources

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Etruscus Resources Corp.. It has a market capitalization of just CA$8.7m, and insiders have CA$3.4m worth of shares in their own names. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are mostly retail investors, collectively hold 62% of Etruscus Resources shares. With this size of ownership, retail investors can collectively play a role in decisions that affect shareholder returns, such as dividend policies and the appointment of directors. They can also exercise the power to decline an acquisition or merger that may not improve profitability.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important.

I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow for free .

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

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.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.

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