Key Insights

• EHang Holdings' significant retail investors ownership suggests that the key decisions are influenced by shareholders from the larger public
• The top 5 shareholders own 51% of the company

If you want to know who really controls EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:EH), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 38% to be precise, is retail investors. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

While insiders who own 31% came under pressure after market cap dropped to US$1.1b last week,retail investors took the most losses.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of EHang Holdings.

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About EHang 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.

EHang Holdings already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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 EHang Holdings' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Hedge funds don't have many shares in EHang Holdings. The company's CEO Huazhi Hu is the largest shareholder with 31% of shares outstanding. With 14% and 2.6% of the shares outstanding respectively, Axim Wealth Management LLC and The Vanguard Group, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

On looking further, we found that 51% of the shares are owned by the top 5 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company.

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. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of EHang Holdings

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. 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.

It seems insiders own a significant proportion of EHang Holdings Limited. It has a market capitalization of just US$1.1b, and insiders have US$332m worth of shares in their own names. That's quite significant. Most would be pleased to see the board is investing alongside them. You may wish to access this free chart showing recent trading by insiders.

General Public Ownership

With a 38% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over EHang Holdings. 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 - EHang Holdings has 1 warning sign we think 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.

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.