Based on 83 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly
📉
Selling streak — 2 quarters in a row
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds reduced or closed their ESPO positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
📊
High ownership — 85% of 3.0Y peak
85% of all-time peak
83 funds currently hold this stock — 85% of the 3.0-year high of 98 funds (reached 2025 Q3). Ownership is elevated but not yet at maximum concentration. Room to grow, but watch if the trend reverses.
📶
Steady growth — +15% more funds vs a year ago
fund count last 6Q
+11 new funds entered over the past year (+15% YoY). Gradual, steady growth in institutional ownership is generally a healthy signal — not a speculative rush, but consistent conviction.
🔴
Heavy selling pressure — only 38% buying
26 buying43 selling
Last quarter: 43 funds sold vs only 26 buyers. This is widespread institutional distribution — not a few funds rebalancing, but a broad exit. High conviction bearish signal.
➡️
Steady new buyers — ~10 new funds per quarter
new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 10 → 25 → 14 → 10. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒
59% of holders stayed for 2+ years
■ 59% conviction (2yr+)
■ 28% medium
■ 13% new
49 out of 83 hedge funds have held ESPO for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎
Buying through price weakness — shares -29%, value -45%
Last quarter: funds added -29% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -45%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📊
Peak discovery — momentum slowing
6 → 10 → 25 → 14 → 10 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 10 → 25 → 14 → 10. ESPO is well-known in the hedge fund world, but fresh entries are gradually declining. The explosive phase of institutional discovery is likely behind us.
🏛️
Veteran-anchored — 69% veterans vs 15% newcomers
■ 69% veterans
■ 15% 1-2yr
■ 15% new
Entry-cohort mix of 84 holders: 58 (69%) are 2+ year veterans, 13 entered 1–2 years ago, and 13 (15%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆
Elite ownership — 73% AUM from top-100 funds
73% from top-100 AUM funds
17 of 83 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 73% of total institutional value in ESPO. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
Exit risk score 3.3/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.