Woolworths Group (WOW), the Australian retailer, has seen its stock price start recovering after revealing an increase in first-quarter group sales.
The company reported revenue of AU$16.3bn for the 14 weeks to 2 October 2022 – 1.8% higher than during the same period last year.
It helped push the WOW stock price up 4% over the past month to AU$34.66 at market close on 18 November 2022
Woolworths Group (WOW) Live Stock Price Chart
But what is the outlook for the business? Here we take a look at its prospects and explore who are the shareholders of Woolworths.
What is Woolworths Group?
Woolworths Group is primarily a food retailing giant with 1,400 stores across Australia and New Zealand. It employs 205,000 people.
The company opened for business on 5 December 1924, when the Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basem*nt began trading in Sydney’s Imperial Arcade. Its second store opened three years later, followed by the first New Zealand outlet in 1929. By 1930, there were 16 stores across New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
On 19 May 1993, Woolworths chairman Paul Simons announced that the company was going public in Australia’s largest-ever market flotation. Shares were priced at A$2.45. It listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) on 12 July 1993, trading under the ticker ‘WOW’.
As of 18 November 2022, Woolworths has a market capitalisation of $28.16bn, which makes it the world’s 606th most valuable business, according to economic data aggregator CompaniesMarketCap.
It is the world’s 28th largest retailer and 8th biggest supermarket chain.
As of 18 November 2022, the WOW stock price stood at AU$34.66, reflecting a fall close to 10% of its value year-to-date.
In its first quarter 2023 results, Woolworths emphasised its focus was on delivering a “much-needed inspirational and affordable” festive season for all its customers.
According to chief executive Brad Banducci, customer shopping behaviours and the trading environment continued to normalise during the quarter. He said:
“Ongoing supply chain volatility and the possibility of another wet summer will be key challenges to navigate but we are seeing strong early sell through of seasonal lines and we remain cautiously optimistic for the period ahead.”
Woolworths shareholders: Who owns WOW shares?
Who are the Woolworths shareholders?
As with most companies, Woolworths is owned by a variety of investors. As well as insiders and retail investors, there are also 256 institutional owners and shareholders.
It’s important to pay attention to who the shareholders of Woolworths are as this can influence how the business is run over the longer term.
Investors with very significant shareholdings, for example, will be able to use their power to demand a seat on the board and take an active role in deciding the company’s direction.
That’s why it’s important to know who the Woolworths shareholders are and monitor the impact of any stock transactions they make.
For example, an existing investor or insider raising their stake in the business can often be seen as a positive statement for its future.
However, shareholders reducing their interests may be seen as a potential red flag and, as with any change, should encourage you to take a closer look at the company’s financial situation.
According to Woolworths, there were 374,275 WOW shareholders, as of 1 August, 2022. The vast majority, 254,387, had between one and 1,000 shares, accounting for seven per cent of issued share capital.
Let’s take a look at Woolworths’ biggest shareholders.
Five biggest WOW shareholders
Here we look at who owns the most shares of Woolworths, according to data from Marketscreener.
BlackRock
BlackRock is a leading asset management firm that provides services to institutional, intermediary, and retail clients.
The global investment house offers a range of solutions, such as rigorous fundamental and quantitative active management approaches aimed at maximising outperformance.
It also provides highly efficient indexing strategies designed to gain broad exposure to the world’s capital markets.
Different parts of BlackRock are listed as being shareholders in Woolworths, according to Marketscreener data.
BlackRock Fund Advisors has a 3.76% stake, courtesy of its 45,589,373 shares, which makes it the largest shareholder in the business.
BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) has 13,170,856 shares, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Ltd 7,963,570, and BlackRock Investment Management UK 7,070,897.
Vanguard
The index tracking specialist has a unique ownership structure. Rather than being owned by external shareholders, the company belongs to the people investing in its funds.
Vanguard’s founder, the late Jack Bogle, who died in 2019 at the age of 89, first introduced index tracker funds to provide people with a cheaper way to invest.
The Vanguard Group is listed as the second largest shareholder in Woolworths. Its 30,277,698 shares amount to a 2.49% stake.
However, Vanguard Investments Australia is also on the list. According to Marketscreener, it has a 1.34% stake courtesy of its 16,293,362 allocation.
This oil fund – whose formal name is the Government Pension Fund Global – is responsible for the long-term management of revenue from Norway’s oil and gas resources.
The fund has a small stake in more than 9,000 companies across the world, including household names such as Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung.
According to Marketscreener, it’s the third largest shareholder in Woolworths, with 17,811,453 shares. This gives it a 1.47% share of the business.
The fund was established after Norway discovered oil in the North Sea to shield the economy from ups and downs in oil revenue.
Currently, its investments are spread across most markets, countries, and currencies to achieve a broad exposure to global growth and value creation.
Australian Foundation Investment Co. Ltd.
This is a listed investment company that specialises in managing a portfolio of Australian equities, whose origins date back to 1928.
AFIC invests in between 60 and 80 companies across a range of industries. Holdings are selected for their ability to perform – regardless of economic cycles – and generate long-term returns.
It currently has a 0.59% stake in Woolworths, with equity holdings of 7,174,718, according to Marketscreener data.
AFIC claims to have low management costs and no performance fees to let its clients “enjoy the benefit” of their investment. It also aims to provide shareholders with long-term returns and dividends that grow faster than the rate of inflation.
Geode Capital Management LLC
Geode is a US investment manager that was founded in 2001 and currently has US$799b in assets under management.
The firm describes itself as a “systematic asset manager” that provides core beat exposures across a range of equity and niche asset classes.
“Geode provides clients with a transparent investment process with a focus on risk-adjusted performance,” it has stated.
Geode embraces a team-based approach, with its systematic techniques being drawn from a wide variety of information sources, with a focus on liquidity and transparency.
According to Marketscreener, Geode has 6,860,944 shares in Woolworths, which gives it a stake of 0.57%.
Final thoughts: Outlook for WOW stock
The stock is a ‘hold’, based on the views of 10 Wall Street analysts compiled by TipRanks, although opinions are divided.
Four analysts had‘buy’ recommendations in place, three had it down as a ‘hold’, and the remaining three believed the stock was a ‘sell’.
The consensus view was that WOW stock could slip 0.45% to A$34.58 over the coming year from its current AU$34.66 level, as the stock market closed on 18 November 2022.
The algorithmic forecasts of WalletInvestorsuggested the stock was a “bad long-term (one year) investment” that could fall 6% to A$32.59 over the coming year.
Johannes Faul, a director at Morningstar, had a fair value estimate of AU$26.50 on WOW stock and pointed out first quarter group sales increased by 2%.
“However, sales performance differed significantly across Woolworths’ three businesses segments: Australian food; New Zealand food; and discount department store Big W,” he said.
While supermarket sales benefited from Covid-19 restrictions on both sides of the Tasman Sea in the previous corresponding period, Big W’s sales were negatively affected. Faul added:
“The September quarter 2022 saw a reversal in sales performance. Sales in the core Australian food business fell 1%, with Woolworths losing market share to rival Coles, which grew its supermarket sales by 2% as shopping preferences normalised.”
The bottom line
Remember that information on a company’s stock ownership structure may be important in terms of forming an idea of the firm’s performance, but it shouldn’t be used in place of your own research.
You should always conduct your own due diligence before trading, looking at the latest news, a wide range of commentary, as well as technical and fundamental analysis.
Past performance does not guarantee future returns. And never trade money you cannot afford to lose.
FAQs
How many Woolworths shares are there?
There are currently 1.21bn Woolworths shares outstanding, according to Macroaxis. About 27% of them are owned by institutional investors.
How many shareholders does Woolworths have?
The company has 374,275 investors as of mid-November 2022, with the vast majority being Australian retail investors
Who owns the Woolworths company?
Woolworths has 256 institutional owners and shareholders, according to data from Fintel. These institutions hold a total of 79,741,731 shares.
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Who is Woolworths Share Registrar and how do I contact them? The Woolworths share registrar is Link Market Services, Locked Bag A14, Sydney South NSW 1235.
If you are pushing ahead and ready to purchase Woolworths shares it should be fairly straightforward. Log into your investment platform, select the shares that you wish to buy and, either how many shares you'd like or the amount you wish to spend.
AU:WOW pays a dividend of AU$0.53 per share. AU:WOW's annual dividend yield is 2.9%. When is Woolworths Group Ltd ex-dividend date? Woolworths Group Ltd's previous ex-dividend date was on Aug 30, 2022.
Woolworths Group Limited's current share price is $33.93. This constitutes a share price movement of 0.68% when compared to its closing share price of $33.70 seven days ago. Relative to today's opening stock price, the WOW stock price is up $0.09 or 0.27%.
In 2021, Woolworths Group held the largest share of the grocery retail market in Australia with a share of 37.4 percent. Woolworths' major competitor, Coles Group, came in second with a little over a quarter of the market share.
The company manages some of Australia's most recognized and trusted brands, such as Woolworths Supermarkets, Everyday Rewards, Woolworths Financial Services & Insurance, Countdown, Dan Murphy's, BWS, Cellarmasters, Langton's, ALH Hotels, and BIG W.
Woolworth closed its remaining variety stores in the United States in 1997, thus abandoning its traditional general-merchandise retail business there. After renaming itself Venator Group, Inc., in 1998, the company operated retail stores in North America, Europe, and Australia into the early 21st century.
Who invested in Woolworths ? Woolworths is funded by WDB Investment Holdings . How much funding has Woolworths raised to date? Woolworths has raised ZAR500M .
Woolworths Group was the first retailer to be awarded Gold Tier status for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion in the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Awards, which it has now been recognised with four consecutive years.
On 19 May 1993, our Chairman, Paul Simons announced that shares in the business would be offered to the public in Australia's largest ever share float.
You typically can't invest in specific stocks or bonds in your 401(k) account. Instead, you often can choose from a list of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Some of these will be actively managed, while others may be index funds.
It's currently trading with a dividend yield of 3.8%, having handed investors 63 cents per share in dividends in financial year 2022. That's superior to the 2.7% yield currently on offer from Woolworths shares. It paid out 92 cents per share in dividends last financial year.
You can access details of your shareholding in Woolworths by accessing www.linkmarketservices.com.au. You will be directed to Link's Investor Centre website.
To be eligible for dividends, you need to be holding the stock in your demat account on the record date of the dividend issue. You should have bought the stock at least one day before the ex-date so that the stocks are delivered in your demat account by the record date.
How much to invest: There is no minimum amount that you need to trade in the stock market. There are two main stock exchanges in India—the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange. Stock prices range between Rs 1 and Rs 75,000. You can buy any stock in any quantity.
Resources are limited and dreams are unlimited. But the simple answer is that you can begin trading with any amount that you can spare because when you even invest Rs. 1000 you are better off than the person not investing in equities at all.
A lot of less than 100 shares is called an odd lot; odd lot transactions generally have greater commission costs associated with them. Financial professionals advise having enough money to buy a round lot of shares in one company. Many discount brokers require that you trade at least 100 shares of stock at a time.
If you are looking for stocks with good return, Woolworths Holdings Ltd can be a profitable investment option. Woolworths Holdings Ltd quote is equal to 6975.000 ZAC at 2023-01-16. Based on our forecasts, a long-term increase is expected, the "WHL" stock price prognosis for 2028-01-07 is 10950.96 ZAC.
Woolworths Holdings Limited (JSE: WHL) is a South African multinational retail company that owns the South African retail chain Woolworths, and Australian retailer Country Road Group. Woolworths, however, has no association to Australia's Woolworths supermarket chain.
Woolworths Group Limited is a locally owned listed public company, deriving revenue from the retail sale of supermarket food, general merchandise, online data analytics, and consulting services.
On 22 August 2008, Woolworths Limited announced it would rename all Safeway supermarkets in Victoria to Woolworths to unite all of its supermarkets under a common brand. The rebrand included a new logo and design for stores in all states, created by Hans Hulsbosch.
The similarly named Woolworths supermarkets in Australia and New Zealand are operated by Australia's largest retail company, Woolworths Group, a separate company with no historical links to the F. W. Woolworth Company or Foot Locker, Inc.
With increasing rent, Woolworths were left in a position where they had 700 landlords which made it near impossible to negotiate better lease terms. Also, when life got tough Woolworths simply had no fixed assets.
Woolworths has a trade relationship with Israel: Woolworths sources products and produce amounting to 12 million rands from Israeli companies in violation of the international BDS consumer boycott of Israel.
Woolworths Group plc entered administration on 27 January 2009, and it was officially dissolved on 13 October 2015. The collapse of Woolworths was a symbol of the credit crunch and financial turmoil in the United Kingdom at the end of 2008.
Woolworths had first opened in 1924 in Sydney's Imperial Arcade as a variety store called Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basem*nt. The store had no links to the Woolworth chain of five and dime stores in the USA and unashamedly stole the name when the founders realised it had not been registered in Australia.
Woolworths tried to replicate its successful SA upmarket food business in David Jones without success. Then the Covid-19 pandemic struck, forcing store closures and putting the company on the back foot.
Investors can cash out stocks by selling them on a stock exchange through a broker. Stocks are relatively liquid assets, meaning they can be converted into cash quickly, especially compared to investments like real estate or jewelry. However, until an investor sells a stock, their money stays tied up in the market.
To figure out how valuable the shares are for traders, take the last updated value of the company share and multiply it by outstanding shares. Another method to calculate the price of the share is the price to earnings ratio.
The average Woolworths South Africa monthly salary ranges from approximately R 3 319 per month for Cashier to R 16 546 per month for Department Manager. The average Woolworths South Africa salary ranges from approximately R 32 000 per year for Operator to R 80 000 per year for Cashier/Sales.
The average Woolworths Supermarket monthly salary ranges from approximately R 2 210 per month for Sales Consultant to R 17 422 per month for Department Manager. The average Woolworths Supermarket salary ranges from approximately R 40 000 per year for Customer Assistant to R 186 000 per year for Department Manager.
Hourly pay at Woolworths ranges from an average of AU$16.05 to AU$27.06 an hour. Woolworths employees with the job title Order Selector make the most with an average hourly rate of AU$32.68, while employees with the title Deli Clerk make the least with an average hourly rate of AU$16.50.
In 2021, Woolworths Group held the largest share of the grocery retail market in Australia with a share of 37.4 percent. Woolworths' major competitor, Coles Group, came in second with a little over a quarter of the market share.
The Coca-Cola Company is a publicly listed company, meaning there is not one sole owner, but rather the company is 'owned' by thousands of shareholders and investors around the world. However, the largest shareowner of the company is American businessman Warren Buffett.
Kroger, which owns stores including Fred Meyer and QFC, plans to buy Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway, in a deal valued at $24.6 billion, a merger that would merge the two largest grocery-store chains in the U.S., the companies said on Friday.
That puts Woolworths on a price-earnings ratio of about 30, compared to Coles's multiple of 22. Based on the consensus forecasts for 2023, of $1.38 and $0.82, those multiples come down 26 and 21, a gap that is probably justified by Woolworths' better execution and higher growth rates.
Walmart is the world's largest food and general merchandise retailer, with over 11,500 stores across 27 countries. These are mostly hypermarkets that house not only groceries, but also pet shops, pharmacies, and cellular phone stores. The company also operates: Discount stores.
Woolworths Group Limited shares (WOW) can be sold through a broker or online broking service who will trade your shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
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