How Big a Problem Is It That a Few Shareholders Own Stock in So Many Competing Companies? (2024)

How Big a Problem Is It That a Few Shareholders Own Stock in So Many Competing Companies? (1)

The case against horizontal shareholdings.

February 19, 2019, Updated February 22, 2019

Summary.

Many critics claim that anti-trust enforcement has dangerously weakened since the 1980s, often citing the dominance of the tech giants as evidence of this. Others have noted rising concentration outside of tech: two-thirds of U.S. industries became more concentratedbetween 1997 and 2012. But a different form of monopoly has largely escaped the limelight. An emerging body of research alleges that trusts have returned in a more insidious form as ‘horizontal shareholdings’: investors that own significant shares in several competing firms. For example, there is substantial common ownership among U.S. airlines. Between 2013 and 2015,the seven shareholders who controlled 60% of United Airlines also controlled 28% of Delta, 27% of JetBlue, and 23% of Southwest. Together these airlines have over halfof domestic market share. Theory and evidence suggests that horizontal shareholding harms competition, consumers, and the economy.

Many critics claim that anti-trust enforcement has dangerously weakened since the 1980s, often citing the dominance of the tech giants as evidence of this. They argue that any benefit gained from Google’s free services or Amazon’s low prices is outweighed by their chokehold on suppliers, theirpossession of mountains of personal data, and more. Others have noted rising concentration outside of tech: two-thirds of U.S. industries became more concentratedbetween 1997 and 2012.

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How Big a Problem Is It That a Few Shareholders Own Stock in So Many Competing Companies? (6)

How Big a Problem Is It That a Few Shareholders Own Stock in So Many Competing Companies? (2024)

FAQs

How Big a Problem Is It That a Few Shareholders Own Stock in So Many Competing Companies? ›

The problem that arises when an owner holds stakes in two or more firms that compete with each other in the product market is that incentives for competition may be reduced.

Can you own stock in competing companies? ›

It is illegal and can result in fines and even criminal charges. The fact that the study's results have been shown in a poster at a conference does not necessarily make the information public or negate the potential for insider trading.

What is the average institutional ownership of stocks? ›

For example, the institutional ownership rate of NVDA is not that different from that of JPM. Most stocks in the US have institutional ownership rates between 50% and 90%.

What happens if a company issues too many shares? ›

Share Dilution

When companies issue additional shares, it increases the number of common stock being traded in the stock market. For existing investors, too many shares being issued can lead to share dilution. Share dilution occurs because the additional shares reduce the value of the existing shares for investors.

Why do companies care so much about shareholders? ›

A shareholder is arguably the most important role within a business as they essentially have the ability to control it. If a shareholder is unhappy; then they can fire directors and managers or, in an extreme case, even sell the business as a whole.

Is owning stock a conflict of interest? ›

28 Therefore, an employee who holds stock in a company is prohibited from participating personally and substantially in any particular matter that the employee knows would have a direct and predictable effect on the issuing company. The same analysis applies to both common stock and preferred stock.

Who is the biggest shareholder of BlackRock? ›

Who are BlackRock's largest shareholders?
  • Vanguard, 8.9%, 13.2 million shares valued at $10.9 billion.
  • BlackRock, 6.5%, 9.6 million shares valued at $8 billion.
  • State Street, 4%, 5.9 million shares valued at $4.9 billion.
  • Bank of America, 3.5%, 5.2 million shares valued at $4.3 billion.
Jul 23, 2024

Is it good if a stock has high institutional ownership? ›

Increasing demand — as shown by higher volume while a stock's price is rising — pushes up its value even more. In addition, a benefit of strong institutional ownership is liquidity. This allows you to easily sell shares when you decide to get out, even in a weak market.

What does it mean if institutional ownership is over 100%? ›

Because shares that are. shorted are owned by more than one party (the original lender plus the purchaser on. the other side of the short sale), institutional ownership can exceed 100%. If a share. sold short is re-borrowed and sold again, short interest ratios can also exceed 100%.

How many companies should I own stock in? ›

Understanding the Ideal Number of Stocks to Own

The more equities you hold in your portfolio, the lower your unsystematic risk exposure. A portfolio of 10 or more stocks, particularly across various sectors or industries, is much less risky than a portfolio of only two stocks.

How many shareholders is too many? ›

There are no limits on the number of shareholders of a public company. A private company, however, can only have fifty (50) shareholders. You can read more about shareholders in public companies here. To clarify, private companies can only have fifty (50), non-employee shareholders.

How many shares are too many? ›

Ensemble Capital believes that around 25 stocks is the level at which an additional stock provides little additional diversification benefit.

How much is too much stock in one company? ›

Numerous financial blogs and financial advisors will say that your position in company stock should be no more than 10-15% of your Net Worth.

Do companies make money when their stock goes up? ›

Key Takeaways:

Companies benefit from a rising stock price due to the interests of the CEO, management team, and employees. 2. Companies can use a higher stock price to raise capital and borrow money from banks.

What percentage of profits go to shareholders? ›

In one study of S&P 500 companies, the share of profits going to stockholders has increased from 50% in the early '80s to 86% in 2013.

Do companies exist to maximize shareholder wealth? ›

A well-managed firm maximizes the use of its assets. The maxim about increasing shareholder value is, in fact, a myth or misconception, as there exists no legal duty for management to maximize corporate profits.

Can a company own stock in another company? ›

A holding company is a business entity—usually a corporation or limited liability company (LLC)—that typically doesn't manufacture anything, sell any products or services, or conduct any other business operations. Rather, holding companies, or holdcos, hold the controlling stock in other companies.

Can a shareholder start a competing company? ›

If you do, you have to look into the operating agreement or shareholder agreement to see if there's something that would prevent your co-owner or partner from starting a business that competes with the existing business. If there's nothing in the operating agreement or shareholder agreement, don't worry yet.

Is it illegal to own stock in a company you work for? ›

Insiders can (and do) buy and sell stock in their own company legally all of the time; their trading is restricted and deemed illegal only at certain times and under certain conditions. A common misconception is that only directors and upper management can be convicted of insider trading.

What happens if you own stock in a company that gets bought by another company? ›

If it's an “all-cash” deal, your shares will vanish from your portfolio upon closing, replaced by the specified cash value. Conversely, if it's an “all-stock” deal, your shares will be swapped for shares of the acquiring company.

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