Key Insights

• Significant control over Jiangsu Zhongshe Group by retail investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• A total of 25 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership
• Insiders own 26% of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002883), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 49% to be precise, is retail investors. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Retail investors gained the most after market cap touched CN¥1.8b last week, while insiders who own 26% also benefitted.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group, beginning with the chart below.

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Jiangsu Zhongshe Group?

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 Jiangsu Zhongshe Group. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Jiangsu Zhongshe Group. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Feng Jun Chen with 12% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 7.8% and 5.6% of the stock.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

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. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

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.

It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Jiangsu Zhongshe Group Co., Ltd.. It has a market capitalization of just CN¥1.8b, and insiders have CN¥464m 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 49% 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.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 19%, of the Jiangsu Zhongshe Group stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

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 4 warning signs with Jiangsu Zhongshe Group (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free 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.

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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.