13D/13G: Who owns a significant amount of company stock?
This is a report from a major shareholder. The document filed today may not reflect purchases made today.
Table of contents
Remember this first
First, 3 things to remember
- 1Ownership percentage is the ratio of shares held to the total number of shares outstanding.
- 213D and 13G are ownership reports used depending on the conditions.
- 3Both the number of shares held and the total number of shares outstanding affect the ownership percentage.
Check the information disclosed by major shareholders.
Large holders meeting certain criteria disclose information through documents like 13D and 13G. These reports examine not only the account holder but also the authority to vote or decide to sell. This is also referred to as beneficial ownership.
First, identify who reported holding which stock and how much. Since the filing requirements differ, do not assume the intent is to participate in company management based solely on the form name.
The reference date for holdings and the filing date of the document are different.
A document released this week may report on a past ownership status. Seeing a document today is different from having bought shares today.
If /A is appended, it is an amended report. Check what has changed since the previous filing and verify whether multiple related filers have reported the same shares.
The percentage can decrease even without selling shares.
If you hold 1,000,000 shares out of a total of 10,000,000 shares, it is 10%. If the company issues more shares and the total becomes 12,500,000 shares, the same 1,000,000 shares become 8%.
This is why a decrease in ownership percentage does not necessarily mean shares were sold. Compare the number of shares held with the total number of shares used in the calculation.
You should not make such assumptions
“Since the 13G was released today, they made a new purchase today.”
First, check the date of the ownership reported in the document. The filing date and the purchase date may differ.
Check what you have read.
- Who holds the shares and with what authority?
- What has changed since the previous report?
- Has the total number of shares changed?
Apply what you read to the actual screen
Try it on WAPE
Source and scope of verification
Reviewed · Version 2
- Beneficial Ownership Reporting AmendmentsNew window
SEC · Verify 2026-10-20
Distinction between 13D and 13G and changes to filing deadlines; check original text for individual application
This is educational material for observation and information comprehension. Hypothetical examples do not represent actual stocks or performance and do not provide buy or sell recommendations.