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List of Employee Ownership Plans in Major Public Companies
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This list, updated and released in December 2011, shows which of the 900 largest publicly traded companies (the S&P 500 and the S&P MidCap 400) have various forms of employee ownership, including stock options, stock purchase plans, ESOPs, 401(k) plans, and more. Developed with support from the Heron Foundation, this project is unique because it relies on a painstaking process to gather and link data from public data sources, the SEC, company materials, and the Department of Labor.
Click here for a PDF that provides a screenshot of sample data and explains our methodology and the fields in the list
Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) were the most common form of broad-based stock ownership. We documented 282 cases among the companies. This is a dramatic increase since the prior year (when we found 164 such companies), but it should be taken with caution, given the lack of systematic data on ESPPs.
The next most common form of employee stock ownership is a stand-alone 401(k) plan that includes company stock. We found 30% of companies had company stock in 401(k) plans, a slight decrease from last year, when 33% of companies had such 401(k) plans. This year, the majority of 401(k) plans own 1% or less of the companies' stock, although 18 companies have plans that own more than 5%.
The third most common type of plan is a KSOP (combined ESOP and 401(k) plans). We found 194 companies with KSOPs or stand-alone ESOPs. This is essentially the same as last year, when we found 199 such plans. One-quarter of these plans own more than 5% of the sponsoring company's shares, which is a sharp decrease from last year's study in which one-third owned more than 5% of company shares.
We found 37 companies that provide options to all or most employees, and 35 with other types of equity compensation plans.
While we are confident we have identified the large majority of ESOP, KSOP, and 401(k) plans owning company stock, there is no way to be comprehensive about the individual equity plan lists. For this, we have looked at the careers sections of company Web sites to see if they indicate they have these kinds of plans and who is eligible. Not all companies provide such information, however.
The list is provided in the form of an Excel spreadsheet and a PDF document that explains the list's methodology. The list contains the company name, stock ticker, type of plan, value of company stock in a defined contribution plans, and whether there is some other form of broad equity plan available. For ESOPs and 401(k) plans, we identify roughly what percentage of the company's stock is held by the plan.
Click here for a PDF that provides a screenshot of sample data and explains our methodology and the fields in the list
Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) were the most common form of broad-based stock ownership. We documented 282 cases among the companies. This is a dramatic increase since the prior year (when we found 164 such companies), but it should be taken with caution, given the lack of systematic data on ESPPs.
The next most common form of employee stock ownership is a stand-alone 401(k) plan that includes company stock. We found 30% of companies had company stock in 401(k) plans, a slight decrease from last year, when 33% of companies had such 401(k) plans. This year, the majority of 401(k) plans own 1% or less of the companies' stock, although 18 companies have plans that own more than 5%.
The third most common type of plan is a KSOP (combined ESOP and 401(k) plans). We found 194 companies with KSOPs or stand-alone ESOPs. This is essentially the same as last year, when we found 199 such plans. One-quarter of these plans own more than 5% of the sponsoring company's shares, which is a sharp decrease from last year's study in which one-third owned more than 5% of company shares.
We found 37 companies that provide options to all or most employees, and 35 with other types of equity compensation plans.
While we are confident we have identified the large majority of ESOP, KSOP, and 401(k) plans owning company stock, there is no way to be comprehensive about the individual equity plan lists. For this, we have looked at the careers sections of company Web sites to see if they indicate they have these kinds of plans and who is eligible. Not all companies provide such information, however.
The list is provided in the form of an Excel spreadsheet and a PDF document that explains the list's methodology. The list contains the company name, stock ticker, type of plan, value of company stock in a defined contribution plans, and whether there is some other form of broad equity plan available. For ESOPs and 401(k) plans, we identify roughly what percentage of the company's stock is held by the plan.
