Do Insiders Own Shares In Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited (HKG:1319)?

The big shareholder groups in Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited (HKG:1319) have power over the company. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. 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.

Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings is a smaller company with a market capitalization of HK$514m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions don't own shares in the company. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about 1319.

Check out our latest analysis for Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings

SEHK:1319 Ownership Summary, October 18th 2019
SEHK:1319 Ownership Summary, October 18th 2019

What Does The Lack Of Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings?

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 multiple explanations for why institutions don't own a stock. The most common is that the company is too small relative to fund under management, so the institition does not bother to look closely at the company. It is also possible that fund managers don't own the stock because they aren't convinced it will perform well. Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings might not have the sort of past performance institutions are looking for, or perhaps they simply have not studied the business closely.

SEHK:1319 Income Statement, October 18th 2019
SEHK:1319 Income Statement, October 18th 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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 Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited. It has a market capitalization of just HK$514m, and insiders have HK$83m 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, with a 17% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 67%, of the company's shares. It's hard to draw any conclusions from this fact alone, so its worth looking into who owns those private companies. Sometimes insiders or other related parties have an interest in shares in a public company through a separate private company.

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.

I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

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.