While individual investors own 30% of British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad (KLSE:BAT), private companies are its largest shareholders with 51% ownership

If you want to know who really controls British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad (KLSE:BAT), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are private companies with 51% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

And individual investors on the other hand have a 30% ownership in the company.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad.

See our latest analysis for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad?

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 British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad. 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. 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 British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad. British American Tobacco Holdings Malaysia B V is currently the largest shareholder, with 50% of shares outstanding. This implies that they have majority interest control of the future of the company. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 3.1% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 1.9% by the third-largest shareholder.

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 are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

We can report that insiders do own shares in British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad. As individuals, the insiders collectively own RM285m worth of the RM3.1b company. This shows at least some alignment. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 30% stake in British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad. 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 51%, 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:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad that you should be aware of.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

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