Quora Answer: Do Companies Have to Show Who Owns Their Stock?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Do companies have to show who owns their stock?”

This depends on many factors.  If the company is listed, this will be a listing requirement, for major shareholders, or those with a possible beneficial ownership.  Not all companies are listed, and not all bourses have the same listing requirements.  Mainboard listings certainly require some form of disclosure, perhaps the top twenty main shareholders, or if there is a potential conflict of interest.  This must be mentioned in the annual report, and the auditor’s report.

This also depends on the local registration laws.  If it is limited liability, this is not a factor.  Even if not, there may develop a situation where a company needs to disclose the identity of their major share owners, such as when required by a court of law, or when there is a merger, for example.  Aside from these, no, a company is not particularly required to show who owns their stock.