Key Insights
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Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Hovnanian Enterprises’ stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions
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A total of 17 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership
A look at the shareholders of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV) can tell us which group is most powerful. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 48% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.
Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.
Let’s delve deeper into each type of owner of Hovnanian Enterprises, beginning with the chart below.
View our latest analysis for Hovnanian Enterprises
What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Hovnanian Enterprises?
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.
Hovnanian Enterprises already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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 Hovnanian Enterprises’ historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there’s always more to the story.
Hedge funds don’t have many shares in Hovnanian Enterprises. The company’s CEO Ara Hovnanian is the largest shareholder with 15% of shares outstanding. With 5.6% and 4.3% of the shares outstanding respectively, BlackRock, Inc. and The Vanguard Group, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.
After doing some more digging, we found that the top 17 have the combined ownership of 50% in the company, suggesting that no single shareholder has significant control over the company.
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. As far as we can tell there isn’t analyst coverage of the company, so it is probably flying under the radar.
Insider Ownership Of Hovnanian Enterprises
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.
Our information suggests that insiders maintain a significant holding in Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc.. Insiders have a US$126m stake in this US$640m 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
With a 31% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Hovnanian Enterprises. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we’ve spotted with Hovnanian Enterprises .
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.
