Which stocks do institutions love? Which do they avoid? High institutional ownership indicates smart money conviction, whereas low ownership may signal potential overlooked opportunities. Our 2026 study breaks down the data — starting with the big picture, then every S&P 500 stock ranked.
Institutional capital tends to gravitate towards larger, more liquid companies. Here is the average ownership percentage broken down by company size.
| Market Cap Segment | Average Inst. Ownership |
|---|---|
| Mega Cap | 69.4% |
| Large Cap | 72.5% |
| Mid Cap | 79.9% |
| Small Cap | 58.7% |
| Micro Cap | 46.2% |
Different sectors attract varying levels of institutional interest based on their capital requirements, stability, and growth profiles.
| Sector | Avg Ownership |
|---|---|
| Healthcare | 81.9% |
| Consumer Cyclical | 80.5% |
| Industrials | 80.3% |
| Technology | 78.9% |
| Real Estate | 78.6% |
| Energy | 70.9% |
| Consumer Defensive | 67.3% |
| Communication Services | 66.0% |
| Basic Materials | 65.6% |
| Financial Services | 63.6% |
How is institutional ownership distributed across the market? This chart shows the frequency of companies falling into specific ownership brackets.
Note: Values >100% can occur due to short selling, where shares are borrowed and counted multiple times.
| Ticker | Company | Inst. Own |
|---|---|---|
| WING | Wingstop Inc. | 132.7% |
| KRC | Kilroy Realty | 131.0% |
| SEI | Solaris Energy | 130.1% |
| CWST | Casella Waste Systems | 126.8% |
| TWST | Twist Bioscience | 122.5% |
| ETSY | Etsy, Inc. | 121.0% |
| YETI | YETI Holdings | 120.5% |
| PSN | Parsons Corporation | 119.9% |
| MLYS | Mineralys Therapeutics | 118.1% |
| QTWO | Q2 Holdings | 117.5% |
| GPK | Graphic Packaging | 117.4% |
| EZPW | EZCORP | 117.0% |
| DNTH | Dianthus Therapeutics | 116.8% |
| HPP | Hudson Pacific Properties | 115.7% |
| DYN | Dyne Therapeutics | 115.3% |
| WSO | Watsco | 115.0% |
| PTEN | Patterson-UTI Energy | 114.7% |
| CORZ | Core Scientific | 114.4% |
| NOVT | Novanta Inc. | 114.2% |
| NOG | Northern Oil and Gas | 114.2% |
These companies have minimal institutional backing, often due to high insider ownership, recent IPOs, or foreign status.
| Ticker | Company | Inst. Own |
|---|---|---|
| FPS | Forgent Power Solutions | 0.0% |
| EMAT | Evolution Metals & Tech | 0.0% |
| RGC | Regencell Bioscience | 0.1% |
| TLX | Telix Pharmaceuticals | 0.3% |
| BSBR | Banco Santander Brasil | 0.7% |
| EC | Ecopetrol S.A. | 1.1% |
| AVAL | Grupo Aval | 1.2% |
| KEP | Korea Electric Power | 1.8% |
| IX | ORIX Corporation | 2.5% |
| BCH | Banco De Chile | 2.6% |
| GSIW | Garden Stage Limited | 2.7% |
| NMR | Nomura Holdings | 2.8% |
| HCM | HUTCHMED (China) | 3.1% |
| SAN | Banco Santander | 3.1% |
| WF | Woori Financial Group | 3.2% |
| LYG | Lloyds Banking Group | 3.5% |
| WIT | Wipro Limited | 3.7% |
| ENIC | Enel Chile S.A. | 4.2% |
| HMC | Honda Motor Company | 4.2% |
| CEPU | Central Puerto S.A. | 4.4% |
High institutional ownership (typically >80%) signals that the "smart money" — mutual funds, pension funds, hedge funds, and endowments — has confidence in the stock. These institutions perform rigorous due diligence and have massive research budgets. High ownership also provides strong liquidity. However, when ownership approaches or exceeds 90-100%, the trade is considered crowded. If a negative catalyst occurs, institutions may all rush to the exits simultaneously, leading to a violent price crash.
Low institutional ownership (typically <20% for established companies) can signal a lack of confidence, high risk, poor liquidity, or simply that the company is "undiscovered." However, for retail investors, a solid company with low institutional ownership can be a goldmine. If the company performs well and begins attracting institutional capital, the massive influx of fund buying can drive the stock price up significantly.
Below is the complete stock-by-stock tracker for every S&P 500 constituent, sorted alphabetically.
| Ticker | Company | Sector | Inst. Ownership (%) | Number of Inst. | Top Holder | Top Holder (%) | Insider Ownership (%) | Market Cap ($B) | P/E Ratio | Short Interest (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMM | 3M | Industrials | 76.32% | 2,824 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.31% | 0.12% | $80.80 | 25.57 | 1.56% |
| AOS | A. O. Smith | Industrials | 100.00% | 905 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.43% | 0.44% | $9.82 | 18.44 | 5.57% |
| ABT | Abbott Laboratories | Health Care | 81.95% | 4,087 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.10% | 0.56% | $190.38 | 29.37 | 0.99% |
| ABBV | AbbVie | Health Care | 76.39% | 5,076 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.22% | 0.11% | $406.87 | 97.09 | 1.29% |
| ACN | Accenture | Information Technology | 82.75% | 3,221 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.00% | 0.08% | $133.33 | 17.77 | 2.76% |
| ADBE | Adobe Inc. | Information Technology | 87.67% | 3,540 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.06% | 0.25% | $118.72 | 16.97 | 3.02% |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices | Information Technology | 72.22% | 4,063 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.72% | 0.44% | $313.76 | 73.45 | 1.89% |
| AES | AES Corporation | Utilities | 88.09% | 986 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.43% | 0.48% | $10.08 | 9.31 | 3.16% |
| AFL | Aflac | Financials | 59.60% | 2,112 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.07% | 10.91% | $57.47 | 16.32 | 1.43% |
| A | Agilent Technologies | Health Care | 93.04% | 1,598 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.07% | 0.18% | $32.55 | 25.40 | 1.72% |
| APD | Air Products and Chemicals | Materials | 94.08% | 2,120 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.02% | 1.89% | $60.60 | N/A | 2.33% |
| ABNB | Airbnb | Consumer Discretionary | 86.53% | 1,807 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.04% | 1.37% | $79.87 | 33.14 | 3.65% |
| AKAM | Akamai Technologies | Information Technology | 100.00% | 980 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.67% | 2.01% | $14.47 | 32.54 | 12.12% |
| ALB | Albemarle Corporation | Materials | 94.67% | 1,206 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.33% | 0.38% | $19.13 | N/A | 10.98% |
| ARE | Alexandria Real Estate Equities | Real Estate | 97.94% | 902 | Vanguard Group Inc | 14.90% | 1.33% | $8.79 | N/A | 6.45% |
| ALGN | Align Technology | Health Care | 96.01% | 967 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.48% | 6.83% | $12.48 | 30.74 | 4.28% |
| ALLE | Allegion | Industrials | 97.48% | 1,129 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.31% | 1.17% | $12.95 | 20.21 | 3.34% |
| LNT | Alliant Energy | Utilities | 91.46% | 1,104 | Vanguard Group Inc | 14.31% | 0.25% | $18.40 | 22.79 | 8.53% |
| ALL | Allstate | Financials | 82.68% | 2,127 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.80% | 0.57% | $55.10 | 5.58 | 2.52% |
| GOOGL | Alphabet Inc. (Class A) | Communication Services | 80.85% | 7,185 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.09% | 0.57% | $3610.71 | 27.61 | 1.26% |
| GOOG | Alphabet Inc. (Class C) | Communication Services | 60.95% | 6,178 | Vanguard Group Inc | 7.74% | 6.64% | $3608.54 | 27.62 | N/A |
| MO | Altria | Consumer Staples | 63.60% | 2,860 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.63% | 0.12% | $111.65 | 16.14 | 2.79% |
| AMZN | Amazon | Consumer Discretionary | 67.24% | 7,665 | Vanguard Group Inc | 7.88% | 9.08% | $2287.83 | 29.77 | 0.90% |
| AMCR | Amcor | Materials | 69.97% | 1,004 | Blackrock Inc. | 6.86% | 0.29% | $20.00 | 32.54 | 6.16% |
| AEE | Ameren | Utilities | 85.56% | 1,172 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.90% | 0.31% | $30.83 | 20.84 | 3.42% |
| AEP | American Electric Power | Utilities | 84.88% | 2,277 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.58% | 0.25% | $71.32 | 19.80 | 3.45% |
| AXP | American Express | Financials | 64.81% | 3,742 | Berkshire Hathaway, Inc | 22.08% | 22.23% | $207.34 | 19.57 | 1.61% |
| AIG | American International Group | Financials | 99.29% | 1,547 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.63% | 0.34% | $42.48 | 14.50 | 2.13% |
| AMT | American Tower | Real Estate | 96.12% | 2,410 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.68% | 0.16% | $88.29 | 34.99 | 1.66% |
| AWK | American Water Works | Utilities | 99.50% | 1,635 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.27% | 0.25% | $26.84 | 24.16 | 6.20% |
| AMP | Ameriprise Financial | Financials | 89.92% | 1,869 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.44% | 0.19% | $43.19 | 12.82 | 4.18% |
| AME | Ametek | Industrials | 92.09% | 1,535 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.87% | 0.40% | $51.10 | 34.74 | 1.19% |
| AMGN | Amgen | Health Care | 85.20% | 3,879 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.17% | 0.21% | $199.20 | 25.97 | 2.69% |
| APH | Amphenol | Information Technology | 97.88% | 2,674 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.30% | 0.55% | $162.10 | 39.48 | 1.54% |
| ADI | Analog Devices | Information Technology | 93.46% | 2,601 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.42% | 0.24% | $154.18 | 57.84 | 1.88% |
| AON | Aon | Financials | 88.75% | 1,733 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.41% | 2.85% | $73.21 | 20.00 | 1.04% |
| APA | APA Corporation | Energy | 99.31% | 969 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.27% | 0.44% | $11.69 | 7.82 | 11.92% |
| APO | Apollo Global Management | Financials | 68.00% | 1,623 | Vanguard Group Inc | 8.26% | 26.99% | $63.09 | 19.62 | 5.22% |
| AAPL | Apple Inc. | Information Technology | 65.20% | 7,519 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.72% | 1.64% | $3784.13 | 32.59 | 0.91% |
| AMAT | Applied Materials | Information Technology | 85.52% | 3,445 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.67% | 0.33% | $257.72 | 33.34 | 1.86% |
| APP | AppLovin | Information Technology | 81.17% | 2,118 | Vanguard Group Inc | 8.18% | 18.76% | $169.70 | 50.01 | 4.92% |
| APTV | Aptiv | Consumer Discretionary | 100.00% | 1,124 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.65% | 0.41% | $15.71 | 96.93 | 3.91% |
| ACGL | Arch Capital Group | Financials | 94.05% | 1,303 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.60% | 3.27% | $35.25 | 8.38 | 1.83% |
| ADM | Archer-Daniels-Midland | Consumer Staples | 87.98% | 1,401 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.30% | 0.68% | $32.45 | 30.24 | 3.62% |
| ARES | Ares Management | Financials | 89.40% | 1,145 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.79% | 11.16% | $36.40 | 64.33 | 5.15% |
| ANET | Arista Networks | Information Technology | 70.78% | 2,751 | Vanguard Group Inc | 8.05% | 18.00% | $167.35 | 48.32 | 1.24% |
| AJG | Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | Financials | 93.56% | 1,731 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.21% | 0.92% | $58.65 | 39.67 | 2.17% |
| AIZ | Assurant | Financials | 97.53% | 824 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.37% | 0.63% | $11.16 | 13.17 | 2.39% |
| T | AT&T | Communication Services | 67.78% | 3,548 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.49% | 0.08% | $203.04 | 9.42 | 1.60% |
| ATO | Atmos Energy | Utilities | 100.00% | 1,332 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.71% | 0.40% | $30.61 | 24.09 | 2.77% |
| ADSK | Autodesk | Information Technology | 95.77% | 2,075 | Blackrock Inc. | 10.42% | 0.21% | $55.33 | 50.00 | 3.02% |
| ADP | Automatic Data Processing | Industrials | 86.51% | 3,073 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.33% | 0.16% | $91.51 | 21.73 | 2.77% |
| AZO | AutoZone | Consumer Discretionary | 94.42% | 1,854 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.84% | 0.25% | $60.56 | 25.38 | 2.17% |
| AVB | AvalonBay Communities | Real Estate | 100.00% | 1,141 | Vanguard Group Inc | 16.25% | 0.41% | $25.19 | 24.04 | 5.12% |
| AVY | Avery Dennison | Materials | 98.64% | 1,126 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.59% | 0.84% | $13.81 | 20.46 | 3.17% |
| AXON | Axon Enterprise | Industrials | 85.84% | 1,580 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.65% | 4.38% | $46.15 | 385.24 | 3.70% |
| BKR | Baker Hughes | Energy | 100.00% | 1,443 | Vanguard Group Inc | 14.67% | 0.13% | $59.11 | 23.00 | 3.29% |
| BALL | Ball Corporation | Materials | 89.31% | 1,028 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.83% | 0.31% | $16.76 | 18.95 | 1.96% |
| BAC | Bank of America | Financials | 71.17% | 4,439 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.07% | 7.33% | $355.19 | 12.77 | 1.40% |
| BAX | Baxter International | Health Care | 100.00% | 1,023 | Blackrock Inc. | 16.48% | 0.43% | $9.10 | N/A | 12.47% |
| BDX | Becton Dickinson | Health Care | 96.13% | 2,022 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.88% | 0.40% | $60.55 | 27.31 | 5.80% |
| BRK.B | Berkshire Hathaway | Financials | 66.28% | 5,836 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.31% | 0.39% | $1076.47 | 16.08 | 0.88% |
| BBY | Best Buy | Consumer Discretionary | 100.00% | 1,290 | Blackrock Inc. | 12.46% | 7.55% | $14.01 | 22.01 | 13.43% |
| TECH | Bio-Techne | Health Care | 100.00% | 811 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.38% | 0.29% | $8.43 | 101.68 | 8.24% |
| BIIB | Biogen | Health Care | 98.02% | 1,435 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.89% | 0.17% | $27.13 | 21.06 | 4.00% |
| BLK | BlackRock | Financials | 82.58% | 3,084 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.04% | 1.97% | $148.61 | 27.03 | 0.97% |
| BX | Blackstone Inc. | Financials | 70.32% | 2,810 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.66% | 0.97% | $135.75 | 28.45 | 1.75% |
| BK | BNY Mellon | Financials | 87.91% | 2,260 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.38% | 0.24% | $80.36 | 15.57 | 1.40% |
| BA | Boeing | Industrials | 73.90% | 2,998 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.04% | 0.08% | $181.50 | 93.57 | 1.74% |
| BKNG | Booking Holdings | Consumer Discretionary | 100.00% | 2,928 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.47% | 0.20% | $146.68 | 27.47 | 2.59% |
| BSX | Boston Scientific | Health Care | 94.92% | 2,514 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.41% | 0.20% | $105.88 | 36.78 | 1.80% |
| BMY | Bristol Myers Squibb | Health Care | 83.08% | 3,157 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.76% | 0.10% | $122.78 | 17.42 | 1.56% |
| AVGO | Broadcom Inc. | Information Technology | 79.44% | 5,972 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.18% | 1.96% | $1566.75 | 69.42 | 1.19% |
| BR | Broadridge Financial Solutions | Industrials | 94.91% | 1,553 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.89% | 0.49% | $22.99 | 21.78 | 2.62% |
| BRO | Brown & Brown | Financials | 82.66% | 1,226 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.06% | 13.09% | $25.09 | 23.26 | 6.30% |
| BF.B | Brown–Forman | Consumer Staples | 76.96% | 904 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.28% | 2.94% | $11.70 | 14.77 | 16.56% |
| BLDR | Builders FirstSource | Industrials | 96.95% | 1,077 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.19% | 2.62% | $10.30 | 23.94 | 5.74% |
| BG | Bunge Global SA | Consumer Staples | 76.82% | 971 | Glencore Plc | 16.95% | 17.76% | $22.58 | 23.62 | 3.48% |
| BXP | BXP Inc. | Real Estate | 100.00% | 905 | Vanguard Group Inc | 15.15% | 0.41% | $9.37 | 30.43 | 9.85% |
| CHRW | C.H. Robinson | Industrials | 100.00% | 1,135 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.28% | 0.81% | $21.31 | 37.19 | 7.13% |
| CDNS | Cadence Design Systems | Information Technology | 90.09% | 2,096 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.99% | 0.30% | $81.92 | 72.96 | 2.09% |
| CPT | Camden Property Trust | Real Estate | 100.00% | 840 | Vanguard Group Inc | 16.30% | 1.49% | $11.33 | 30.09 | 6.19% |
| CPB | Campbell Soup Company | Consumer Staples | 62.46% | 853 | Blackrock Inc. | 8.34% | 33.61% | $7.69 | 13.30 | 22.58% |
| COF | Capital One | Financials | 88.56% | 2,700 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.15% | 1.87% | $116.74 | 55.87 | 1.31% |
| CAH | Cardinal Health | Health Care | 90.49% | 1,865 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.36% | 0.26% | $51.25 | 31.34 | 2.45% |
| CCL | Carnival | Consumer Discretionary | 71.40% | 1,489 | Vanguard Group Inc | 10.34% | 7.84% | $35.72 | 12.77 | 3.56% |
| CARR | Carrier Global | Industrials | 91.13% | 1,983 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.09% | 6.15% | $48.77 | 34.53 | 2.74% |
| CVNA | Carvana | Consumer Discretionary | 100.00% | 1,165 | Price (T.Rowe) Associates Inc | 12.42% | 2.13% | $69.62 | 37.60 | 12.10% |
| CAT | Caterpillar Inc. | Industrials | 72.60% | 4,261 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.97% | 0.23% | $318.65 | 36.24 | 2.15% |
| CBOE | Cboe Global Markets | Financials | 89.36% | 1,326 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.61% | 0.24% | $31.53 | 28.91 | 2.98% |
| CBRE | CBRE Group | Real Estate | 99.15% | 1,547 | Vanguard Group Inc | 16.20% | 0.64% | $40.72 | 35.63 | 1.63% |
| CDW | CDW | Information Technology | 97.95% | 1,158 | Vanguard Group Inc | 13.52% | 0.39% | $16.07 | 15.27 | 4.44% |
| COR | Cencora | Health Care | 96.89% | 1,973 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.14% | 4.22% | $69.73 | 43.08 | 3.13% |
| CNC | Centene Corporation | Health Care | 98.35% | 1,283 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.59% | 0.67% | $21.47 | N/A | 3.35% |
| CNP | CenterPoint Energy | Utilities | 100.00% | 1,072 | Capital International Investors | 13.18% | 0.23% | $28.47 | 27.26 | 7.08% |
| CF | CF Industries | Materials | 100.00% | 1,168 | Vanguard Group Inc | 12.73% | 0.67% | $18.06 | 12.91 | 8.82% |
| CRL | Charles River Laboratories | Health Care | 100.00% | 824 | Vanguard Group Inc | 11.96% | 1.10% | $8.59 | N/A | 6.90% |
| SCHW | Charles Schwab Corporation | Financials | 84.89% | 2,926 | Vanguard Group Inc | 8.59% | 6.29% | $169.22 | 20.48 | 0.82% |
| CHTR | Charter Communications | Communication Services | 81.72% | 1,152 | Dodge & Cox Inc. | 11.54% | 36.22% | $30.05 | 6.41 | 26.19% |
| CVX | Chevron Corporation | Energy | 67.91% | 4,699 | Vanguard Group Inc | 9.17% | 6.60% | $379.76 | 28.65 | 1.17% |
Based on 2026 data, the average institutional ownership across US public companies is approximately 73.5%. This varies significantly by market capitalization and sector.
High institutional ownership (typically >80%) signals strong confidence from major funds and banks, implying stability, rigorous analysis backing the stock, and liquidity. However, extremely high levels (>95%) can mean the stock is "crowded," leaving fewer marginal buyers and increasing the risk of sharp selloffs if institutions simultaneously exit.
Low institutional ownership (often <20%) could mean the company is undiscovered, too small, or operates in a highly speculative space. It can also indicate high insider or founder ownership. For investors, it may present an opportunity to "get in early" before institutional money drives up the price, albeit with higher risk and lower liquidity.
Our 2026 analysis shows that sectors like Healthcare (81.9%) and Consumer Cyclical (80.5%) tend to attract the highest institutional capital due to reliable cash flows or strong growth characteristics.
There is a direct correlation between market cap and institutional ownership. Mega-cap and large-cap stocks typically see higher average institutional ownership because large funds require massive liquidity to build positions without moving the market. Small and micro-cap stocks have noticeably lower institutional ownership.
Typically, large-cap, established companies in the S&P 500 feature the highest institutional ownership percentages, often exceeding 80%. See our data table above for the exact 2026 figures.
Hedge funds frequently target technology, healthcare, and consumer discretionary sectors, seeking high-growth opportunities or mispriced assets. Look at the "Top Holder" column in our table to see major institutional players.
In the modern U.S. stock market, institutions collectively own approximately 70-80% of the market value of publicly traded companies, a figure that continues to remain strong in 2026.
This 2026 study analyzed a diverse cross-section of 818 US-listed equities, including all S&P 500 constituents and components of broader market indices spanning mega-cap to micro-cap companies. Data was sourced from public market filings via Yahoo Finance APIs. Averages presented are unweighted arithmetic means of the institutional ownership percentages within the respective cohorts. Invalid ownership percentages were bounded to standard constraints (0-100% for institutions, 0-80% for insiders). Data for informational purposes only.
The information provided in this study is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Westmount Research is not a registered investment advisor. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.