In spite of recent selling, insiders still control 71% of Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:FRHC)
Key Insights
Insiders appear to have a vested interest in Freedom Holding's growth, as seen by their sizeable ownership
71% of the company is held by a single shareholder (Timur Turlov)
If you want to know who really controls Freedom Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:FRHC), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 71% to be precise, is individual insiders. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.
Despite recent sales, insiders own the most shares in the company.
In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Freedom Holding.
See our latest analysis for Freedom Holding
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Freedom Holding?
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.
Since institutions own only a small portion of Freedom Holding, many may not have spent much time considering the stock. But it's clear that some have; and they liked it enough to buy in. So if the company itself can improve over time, we may well see more institutional buyers in the future. We sometimes see a rising share price when a few big institutions want to buy a certain stock at the same time. The history of earnings and revenue, which you can see below, could be helpful in considering if more institutional investors will want the stock. Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider, too.
Freedom Holding is not owned by hedge funds. The company's CEO Timur Turlov is the largest shareholder with 71% of shares outstanding. This essentially means that they have significant control over the outcome or future of the company, which is why insider ownership is usually looked upon favourably by prospective buyers. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 0.2% and 0.2%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Interestingly, the second-largest shareholder, Askar Tashtitov is also President, again, pointing towards strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.
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. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.
Insider Ownership Of Freedom Holding
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.
Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.
It seems that insiders own more than half the Freedom Holding Corp. stock. This gives them a lot of power. That means insiders have a very meaningful US$3.5b stake in this US$4.9b business. Most would argue this is a positive, showing strong alignment with shareholders. You can click here to see if they have been selling down their stake.
General Public Ownership
The general public-- including retail investors -- own 27% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.
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. Take risks for example - Freedom Holding has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
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.
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.
