ABSTRACT
Over recent decades, a notable change in equity ownership in UK listed companies is the growth of institutional shareholdings. Share ownership has moved away from individual investors to become concentrated in the hands of a relatively few powerful institutional shareholders – see Table 4.1. 1 Summary of main categories of share ownership in the UK, 1963–2010 https://www.niso.org/standards/z39-96/ns/oasis-exchange/table">
Type of investor
1963 (%)
2010 (%)
Individuals
54
11.5
Insurance companies
10
8.6
Pension funds
6
5.1
Unit trusts
1
6.7
Investment trusts
1.3
2.1
Other financial institutions
0
16
Overseas
7
41.2
Source: Office for National Statistics, ‘Share Ownership Survey’. 2