Following recent decline, Zall Smart Commerce Group Ltd.'s (HKG:2098) top shareholder CEO Zhi Yan sees holdings value drop by 12%

Key Insights

• Zall Smart Commerce Group's significant insider ownership suggests inherent interests in company's expansion
• 70% of the company is held by a single shareholder (Zhi Yan)
• Using data from company's past performance alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

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To get a sense of who is truly in control of Zall Smart Commerce Group Ltd. (HKG:2098), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 71% to be precise, is individual insiders. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

And following last week's 12% decline in share price, insiders suffered the most losses.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Zall Smart Commerce Group.

See our latest analysis for Zall Smart Commerce Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Zall Smart Commerce Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that Zall Smart Commerce Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Zall Smart Commerce Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Zall Smart Commerce Group is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is the CEO Zhi Yan with 70% of shares outstanding. This implies that they possess majority interests and have significant control over the company. Investors usually consider it a good sign when the company leadership has such a significant stake, as this is widely perceived to increase the chance that the management will act in the best interests of the company. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 5.5% and 0.8% of the stock. Interestingly, the third-largest shareholder, Gang Yu is also a Member of the Board of Directors, again, indicating strong insider ownership amongst the company's top shareholders.

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. 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 Zall Smart Commerce Group

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. 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.

Our information suggests that insiders own more than half of Zall Smart Commerce Group Ltd.. This gives them effective control of the company. That means they own HK$899m worth of shares in the HK$1.3b company. That's quite meaningful. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish todiscover (for free) if they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 23% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Zall Smart Commerce Group. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Zall Smart Commerce Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think 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.