Based on 115 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q2 · updated quarterly
📈
Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added ESOA than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️
At the ownership peak (100% of max)
100% of all-time peak
115 hedge funds hold ESOA right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
🚀
Fast accumulation — +35% more funds vs a year ago
fund count last 6Q
+30 new funds entered over the past year (+35% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.
🟢
More buyers than sellers — 65% buying
75 buying41 selling
Last quarter: 75 funds were net buyers (25 opened a brand new position + 50 added to an existing one). Only 41 were sellers (26 trimmed + 15 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.
⚠️
Fewer new buyers each quarter (-8 vs last Q)
new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 17 → 13 → 33 → 25. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
📌
Mixed — 27% long-term, 36% new
■ 27% conviction (2yr+)
■ 37% medium
■ 36% new
Of the 115 current holders: 31 (27%) held >2 years, 43 held 1–2 years, and 41 entered in the last year. A mixed base — the stock has long-term believers but also recent buyers who haven't been tested by a downturn yet.
💰
Value +54% but shares only +2% — price-driven
Last quarter: the total dollar value of institutional holdings rose +54%, but actual share count only changed +2%. The gap is explained by the stock's price rising — not new buying. Strong value growth with weak share growth means the rally is price momentum, not fresh institutional demand.
🚀
Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in
30 → 17 → 13 → 33 → 25 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 17 → 13 → 33 → 25. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.
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Mixed cohorts — 36% veterans, 46% new entrants
■ 36% veterans
■ 18% 1-2yr
■ 46% new
Of 115 current holders: 41 (36%) held 2+ years, 21 held 1–2 years, 53 (46%) entered in the past year. Balanced distribution — some institutional memory, some recent momentum buyers.
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Elite ownership — 41% AUM from top-100 funds
41% from top-100 AUM funds
32 of 115 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 41% of total institutional value in ESOA. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
4.4
out of 10
Moderate Exit Risk
Exit risk score 4.4/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.