Share Percent Held By Insiders
Returns the percentage of outstanding shares held by company insiders, including executives, directors, and major shareholders with insider status.
Who Are Insiders?
- CEO, CFO, and other executives
- Board members
- Founders and co-founders
- 10%+ beneficial owners
- Family members of the above
Why Insider Ownership Matters
| High Insider Ownership | Low Insider Ownership |
|---|---|
| Management has "skin in the game" | Diversified management compensation |
| Aligned interests with shareholders | Potential agency problems |
| May limit float and liquidity | Higher float and liquidity |
| Common in founder-led companies | Typical for mature companies |
Interpretation Guidelines
| Range | Typical Situation |
|---|---|
| > 20% | Founder-led or family-controlled |
| 10% - 20% | Significant management stake |
| 5% - 10% | Moderate insider ownership |
| < 5% | Typical for large-cap mature companies |
Syntax
=SharePercentHeldByInsiders(Symbol)Returns
Percentage of shares held by insiders as a decimal
Examples
=SharePercentHeldByInsiders("META")=SharePercentHeldByInsiders("TSLA")=SharePercentHeldByInsiders("AAPL")=SharePercentHeldByInsiders("META")*100When to Use
- Evaluating management alignment
- Governance analysis
- Finding founder-led companies
- Understanding ownership structure
- Screening for insider-owned stocks
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need institutional ownership | SharesOwned() |
| Need total shares | Shares_Outstanding() |
| Need tradeable shares | FloatShares() |
| Need insider buying/selling activity | insider_transactions() |
Common Issues & FAQ
Why is the value returned as a decimal?
The value is a decimal (0.15 = 15%). Multiply by 100 for percentage:
=SharePercentHeldByInsiders("SYMBOL")*100
Why is AAPL's insider ownership so low?
Large-cap, mature companies typically have low insider ownership because:
- Founders have diversified over time
- Stock compensation is a small % of total shares
- Institutional ownership dominates
Does low insider ownership mean poor alignment?
Not necessarily. Mature companies compensate executives with stock options and RSUs that still align interests, even if the percentage is low.
How do I find recent insider buying/selling?
Use insider_transactions() or check SEC Form 4 filings for recent activity.
Excel Templates Using Share Percent Held By Insiders
These ready-made MarketXLS templates call SharePercentHeldByInsiders() in their worksheet formulas. Open one to see the function working inside a complete model.
Related Formulas
More MarketXLS Profile formulas you can use in the same worksheet:
- Share Percent Held by Institutions
- Shares Outstanding (On Demand)
- Shares Short
- Short Ratio
- Description
- Enterprise Value
- Exchange
- Fiscal Year End Date
See SharePercentHeldByInsiders used in a complete workbook: Insider Buying Screener Excel: How to Build a High Insider Ownership Watchlist (May 2026)
Get Access to 1 Billion Usable Market data points IN YOUR EXCEL SHEETS WITH EASY TO USE EXCEL FUNCTIONS
Get started today