Yahoo Finance USU Software AG's (ETR:OSP2) largest shareholders are private companies with 56% ownership, individual investors own 25%
Key Insights
USU Software's significant private companies ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
Udo Strehl Private Equity GmbH owns 54% of the company
A look at the shareholders of USU Software AG (ETR:OSP2) can tell us which group is most powerful. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are private companies with 56% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).
And individual investors on the other hand have a 25% ownership in the company.
Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about USU Software.
Check out our latest analysis for USU Software
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About USU Software?
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.
We can see that USU Software does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. 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 USU Software's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
Hedge funds don't have many shares in USU Software. The company's largest shareholder is Udo Strehl Private Equity GmbH, with ownership of 54%. This essentially means that they have extensive influence, if not outright control, over the future of the corporation. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 4.8% and 4.8% of the stock. Furthermore, CEO Bernhard Oberschmidt is the owner of 1.6% of the company's shares.
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. There is some analyst coverage of the stock, but it could still become more well known, with time.
Insider Ownership Of USU Software
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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.
I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.
Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in USU Software AG. As individuals, the insiders collectively own €12m worth of the €165m company. This shows at least some alignment, but we usually like to see larger insider holdings. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.
General Public Ownership
The general public-- including retail investors -- own 25% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. 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 Company Ownership
Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 56%, of the company's shares. 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:
While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with USU Software .
But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter 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.
