Key Insights

• Kore Potash's significant individual investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
• 54% of the business is held by the top 6 shareholders
• Insider ownership in Kore Potash is 17%

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Kore Potash plc (LON:KP2), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that individual investors own the lion's share in the company with 31% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Private companies, on the other hand, account for 24% of the company's stockholders.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Kore Potash.

See our latest analysis for Kore Potash

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Kore Potash?

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.

Kore Potash already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. 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 Kore Potash, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Kore Potash. The company's largest shareholder is Harlequin Investments Ltd, with ownership of 13%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 12% and 8.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. David Hathorn, who is the third-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Chairman of the Board.

We also observed that the top 6 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Kore Potash

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 information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Kore Potash plc. Insiders have a UK£22m stake in this UK£135m business. 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-- including retail investors -- own 31% 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

We can see that Private Companies own 24%, of the shares on issue. 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.

Public Company Ownership

It appears to us that public companies own 17% of Kore Potash. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Kore Potash better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Kore Potash (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.

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.