Key Insights

• The considerable ownership by private equity firms in Akoya Biosciences indicates that they collectively have a greater say in management and business strategy
• 53% of the business is held by the top 3 shareholders
• 21% of Akoya Biosciences is held by Institutions

If you want to know who really controls Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKYA), 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 equity firms with 49% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

While institutions, who own 21% shares weren't spared from last week's US$62m market cap drop, private equity firms as a group suffered the maximum losses

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Akoya Biosciences.

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Akoya Biosciences?

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.

Akoya Biosciences 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 Akoya Biosciences' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

It looks like hedge funds own 9.6% of Akoya Biosciences shares. That's interesting, because hedge funds can be quite active and activist. Many look for medium term catalysts that will drive the share price higher. Telegraph Hill Partners is currently the largest shareholder, with 36% of shares outstanding. With 9.6% and 7.2% of the shares outstanding respectively, Blue Water Life Science Advisors, LP and PS Capital Partners, LLC are the second and third largest shareholders.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 3 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of 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. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Akoya Biosciences

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. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

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.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in Akoya Biosciences, Inc.. In their own names, insiders own US$13m worth of stock in the US$234m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

With a 15% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Akoya Biosciences. 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 Equity Ownership

With an ownership of 49%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public.

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 3 warning signs we've spotted with Akoya Biosciences .

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.