Key Insights

• Significant control over Microvast Holdings by individual investors implies that the general public has more power to influence management and governance-related decisions
• The top 7 shareholders own 51% of the company
• 29% of Microvast Holdings is held by insiders

A look at the shareholders of Microvast Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVST) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 41% to be precise, is individual investors. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Following a 385% increase in the stock price last week, individual investors profited the most, but insiders who own 29% stock also stood to gain from the increase.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Microvast Holdings.

See our latest analysis for Microvast Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Microvast Holdings?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Microvast Holdings. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. 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 Microvast Holdings, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Microvast Holdings is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Yang Wu with 26% of shares outstanding. CDH Investment Management Company Limited is the second largest shareholder owning 13% of common stock, and International Finance Corporation holds about 4.1% of the company stock.

We also observed that the top 7 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 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. While there is some analyst coverage, the company is probably not widely covered. So it could gain more attention, down the track.

Insider Ownership Of Microvast Holdings

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.

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 most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Microvast Holdings, Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just US$256m, and insiders have US$75m worth of shares in their own names. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 41% stake in Microvast Holdings. 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 Equity Ownership

With a stake of 13%, private equity firms could influence the Microvast Holdings board. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere.

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. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Microvast Holdings you should be aware of, and 3 of them are significant.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

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.