OWS, Occupy THIS, Occupy THAT, Big Corporations, Big Greed, Republicans are for the rich 1%

[PHILIP SCHNEIDER]

What a bunch of BULL SPERM!

Well, Guess again my friend . . . .

Who Owns America’s Oil and Natural Gas Companies? Not the Wealthy Few, Analysis Finds

By Penny Starr

November 7, 2011

(CNSNews.com) – Less than three percent of shares in 173 publicly-traded, U.S.-based oil and natural gas companies are owned by corporate management, contrary to the perception that a very small number of wealthy people are the major beneficiaries.

An analysis released last month by the economic advisory firm Sonecon found that corporate management owns 2.8 percent of shares in those companies, while almost half – 48.9 percent – are owned by individuals, either through pension funds (31.2 percent) or Individual Retirement Accounts (17.7 percent).

The remaining shares are owned by asset management companies – mutual funds – which account for 20.6 percent, and by institutional investors (6.6 percent).

Co-authored by Sonecon co-founder and chairman Robert Shapiro, former undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs in the Bill Clinton administration, the analysis is based on data from the Security and Exchange Commission as of October 2011.

“Broad ownership of public corporations, economic researchers find, yields substantial economic and social benefits,” the analysis states, noting as perhaps the greatest benefit the fact that ownership of that type “promotes social progress by enabling large numbers of people to benefit from the strong returns generated in an efficient, productive and growing economy.”

“These dynamics are especially pertinent today, given the growing public perception that most of the benefits produced by the American economy flow to a very small number of people,” it says.

The American Petroleum Institute, the largest trade group for the oil and natural gas industry, commissioned the report and announced its release during a conference call in late October.

“In 2010, the oil and natural gas industry directly contributed over $470 billion to the U.S. economy in spending, wages and dividends,” said API vice president for regulatory and economic policy Kyle Isakower. “The dividends alone totaled about $35 billion and went to stockholders of these publicly-traded companies.”

“The $35 billion in dividends as well as gains in stock prices of oil and gas companies are directly benefiting the tens of millions of Americans who own oil and gas company stock,” Isakower added.

The analysis divided the industry into three segments:  Integrated oil and natural gas companies engaged in exploration, production, refining and transportation; non-integrated oil and natural gas companies engaged in exploration, refining and storage and transportation of refined products; and oil and natural gas services companies engaged in manufacturing drilling rigs and equipment and providing industry services such as drilling, evaluation and completion of wells.

The report shows that corporate management only owns 0.5 percent of the shares of integrated oil and natural gas companies (which include Chevron, Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips); less than six percent of non-integrated oil and natural gas companies; and four percent of natural oil and gas service companies.

The report includes the names of all 173 publicly-traded oil and natural gas companies used in the analysis.

 

In my lifetime, even before the advent of 401ks or before mutual funds and pension funds became huge conglomerates, I owned corporate stock. I lost money being a stock holder but I earned more than I lost, by a lot.

My only gripe about some corporations is the board of directors who have allowed the cost of a CEO to skyrocket AND to make huge balloon payments to the same CEO for poor performance.

Corporations (and therefore nations) exist because of risk takers. Without corporations we would still be riding horses, heating with wood, and reading by candle light.

[Leon Ewers]

Not to mention those 401K plans and pension funds took a serious hit. A lot of people lost a lot of money, in some cases their whole life savings, and on top of that those that managed to recover even some can only take it out in installments.

[PHILIP SCHNEIDER]

Good point Wesley. I'd like to see a theoretical dollar which purchased stock, go through the system and see just how many pieces are taken out at it various stops along the way.

[PHILIP SCHNEIDER]

Leon you're sharp.

48.9% + 20.6% + 6.6% = 76.1%

where is the other 23.9% ?

Without a doubt the corporations would have an answer for that, maybe the author of this article, Penny Starr, isn't a CFO and hasn't been asked by the publisher for her math credentials . . . . yet.

A more specific analysis by Sonecon of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry shows this:

"Across the oil and natural gas industry, 1.5 percent of the total outstanding shares of its public companies are owned by the officers and board members of those companies (“insiders”), compared to 29 percent owned by individual investors who manage their own holdings and who are not insiders, 42.7 percent owned or held by mutual funds and other asset management companies that have mutual funds, 18.1 percent owned or held by asset management companies that do not have mutual funds, and the remaining 8.7 percent owned or held and directly managed by pension funds, insurance companies, endowments and foundations, banks and other financial institutions.
•
The data show that this general pattern also holds across the three main oil and natural gas sub-industries:"

 

The above data was taken from

 

The Distribution of Ownership of
U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Companies
Robert J. Shapiro and Nam D. Pham

September 2007

What MIGHT be a more interesting investigation would involve an analysis of who really controls the "board of directors" of the largest corporations. THAT would also be more difficult since "Influence (money) most often times is hidden and hard to follow.

And then, the current list of czars on Obama's staff and THEIR influence on corporations would also lead to some interesting intrigue. Take GE and Jeffrey Immelt for instance. He is Obama's corporate insider. Not only does GE get a huge share of government contracts but Immelt now has a direct line of communication to Obama and the democrat machine. Who controls our tax money flowing directly to corporations, I'll guess it's not WE the People.

Corporations, government, and our nation all suffer when MONEY MATTERS override honesty, integrity, and morality 

[Leon Ewers]

Ok so that is roughly 80%. Where is the other 20%?

So from this I get that roughly 50% of individuals are making money off the other 50% and they call that good! Hmmm.

[Sandra]

They need to be protesting out front of the Capital... Wait til you see mu next post {:-((((((((