Yahoo Finance With 32% stake, International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (TSE:ITH) seems to have captured hedge funds investors' interest
Key Insights
Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, International Tower Hill Mines' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions
58% of the business is held by the top 3 shareholders
Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company
Every investor in International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (TSE:ITH) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are hedge funds with 32% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).
Since hedge funds have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about International Tower Hill Mines.
Check out our latest analysis for International Tower Hill Mines
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About International Tower Hill Mines?
Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.
As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in International Tower Hill Mines. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. 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 International Tower Hill Mines' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
It looks like hedge funds own 32% of International Tower Hill Mines shares. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Our data shows that Paulson & Co. Inc. is the largest shareholder with 32% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 14% and 12%, of the shares outstanding, respectively.
A more detailed study of the shareholder registry showed us that 3 of the top shareholders have a considerable amount of ownership in the company, via their 58% stake.
Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. 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 International Tower Hill Mines
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.
Our information suggests that International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. insiders own under 1% of the company. It seems the board members have no more than CA$957k worth of shares in the CA$186m company. Many investors in smaller companies prefer to see the board more heavily invested. 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 30% stake in International Tower Hill Mines. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.
Private Equity Ownership
With an ownership of 14%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public.
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 2 warning signs for International Tower Hill Mines (1 is potentially serious) that you should be aware of.
Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. Therefore, you may wish to see our free collection of interesting prospects boasting favorable financials.
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.
