If you want to know who really controls Nerdy, Inc. (NYSE:NRDY), then you’ll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. With 40% stake, individual insiders possess the maximum shares in the company. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).
Despite recent sales, insiders own the most shares in the company.
In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Nerdy.
Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it’s included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.
We can see that Nerdy does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company’s stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It’s therefore worth looking at Nerdy’s earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.
NYSE:NRDY Earnings and Revenue Growth September 6th 2025
Hedge funds don’t have many shares in Nerdy. The company’s CEO Charles Cohn is the largest shareholder with 37% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 6.7% and 3.6% of the stock.
On looking further, we found that 51% of the shares are owned by the top 4 shareholders. In other words, these shareholders have a meaningful say in the decisions of the company.
While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.
While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.
Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.
It seems insiders own a significant proportion of Nerdy, Inc.. Insiders own US$100m worth of shares in the US$247m company. This may suggest that the founders still own a lot of shares. You can click here to see if they have been buying or selling.
With a 31% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Nerdy. While this group can’t necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.
With an ownership of 6.7%, private equity firms are in a position to play a role in shaping corporate strategy with a focus on value creation. Some might like this, because private equity are sometimes activists who hold management accountable. But other times, private equity is selling out, having taking the company public.
While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We’ve spotted 2 warning signs for Nerdy you should be aware of.
NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content?Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
