Ghost of Yōtei
Nov 26, 2025
Who Really Owns Sony? Inside the Shareholders of 6758.T
Explore the major owners of Sony’s stock (6758.T), institutional investors, mutual funds and individual shareholders and learn why their stakes matter for the company’s future. Photo by: mxdwn Games
Sony is not just a tech and gaming company, it is a growing global business with thousands of owners who are spread all across the world.
As of September 30, 2025, Sony Group Corporation had around 6.15 billion shares issued and roughly 438,235 registered shareholders.
This mix of global investors, from institutions to individuals, shapes how Sony moves, grows, and reacts in the financial markets.
A Company With Many Owners
Being a publicly traded company, Sony’s shares are available to anyone individuals, corporations, or massive investment funds.
The company trades on both the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Ticker: 6758.T) and in the U.S. via American Depositary Receipts (ADR: SONY).
This makes Sony one of the few Japanese companies with such broad global participation. But who exactly owns Sony? and How does that impact its business?
Ownership Breakdown: Institutions Lead the Pack
Let’s look at the numbers:
Category | % of Shares Held |
|---|---|
Foreign Institutions & Individuals | 58.9% |
Japanese Financial Institutions | 26.9% |
Japanese Individuals & Others | 9.0% |
Insiders (Executives, Board, etc.) | 0.07% |
That means nearly two-thirds of the Sony’s ownership is in the hands of large international investor funds and financial giants.
Only a small percentage of it belongs to individual shareholders, which gives institutional investors more influence and power over the company decisions and direction.
Institutional Strength and Market Confidence
As of 2025, 47.98% of Sony’s total shares and 48.02% of its floating shares were held by institutions. Around 680 institutions have held Sony's stock as a clear indicator of high investor trust and confidence in the company’s near future.
This ownership pattern brings both stability and volatility: stability because institutions usually hold for long-term, and volatility because when these large players start to sell, they move to the market in very big, dramatic way.
Top Institutional Holders
Sony’s top institutional shareholders (as of 2025) include some of the biggest names in global finance:
Holder | Shares Held | Date Reported | % of Shares | Value (JPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aristotle Capital Management, LLC | 5.55M | Jun 30, 2025 | 0.09% | ¥24,129,667,500 |
Pacer Advisors, Inc. | 938.74K | Sep 30, 2025 | 0.02% | ¥4,083,527,700 |
Boston Common Asset Management, LLC | 1.34M | Sep 30, 2025 | 0.02% | ¥5,835,246,600 |
Gamma Investing LLC | 3.29K | Sep 30, 2025 | 0.00% | ¥14,302,800 |
While these individual holdings might look small in percentage, together, they represent a huge block of global investor faith in Sony’s performance, especially from funds with sustainable or diversified portfolios.
Top Mutual Fund Holders
When it comes to mutual funds, Vanguard and iShares lead the game. These funds not only invest heavily in Sony but also help millions of everyday investors indirectly own a piece of Sony through ETFs and international stock funds.
Holder | Shares Held | % of Shares | Value (JPY) | Date Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund | 87.12M | 1.42% | ¥378,970,064,250 | Jul 31, 2025 |
Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | 54.19M | 0.88% | ¥235,711,014,000 | Jun 30, 2025 |
iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 41.42M | 0.67% | ¥180,190,050,000 | Sep 30, 2025 |
MFS International Equity Fund | 22.08M | 0.36% | ¥96,065,400,000 | Jun 30, 2025 |
EuroPacific Growth Fund | 22.05M | 0.36% | ¥95,928,375,000 | Sep 30, 2025 |
iShares MSCI Japan ETF | 21.5M | 0.35% | ¥93,526,740,000 | Sep 30, 2025 |
College Retirement Equities Fund | 21.09M | 0.34% | ¥91,755,550,500 | Jun 30, 2025 |
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | 21.02M | 0.34% | ¥91,437,000,000 | Sep 30, 2025 |
Fidelity International Index Fund | 20.98M | 0.34% | ¥91,269,546,750 | Aug 31, 2025 |
JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF | 18.28M | 0.30% | — | Jul 31, 2025 |
These mutual fund investments reflect Sony’s strong position in global markets, especially in the U.S. and Europe, where most of these funds are based.
Why This Ownership Structure Matters
The balance between institutional and individual ownership directly impacts how Sony operates. Institutional investors expect:
Steady growth in the gaming revenue like from Ghost of Yōtei and Spider-Man 2.
High returns from the hardware launches like PS5 special editions
Consistent financial discipline and global expansion
On the other hand, when too much ownership lies in the institutional hands, it also means small investors have less voting power and less direct influence on company policies.
However, the institutional ownership also provide Sony the credibility that these investors conduct in-depth analysis before investing, signaling market trust and strength in Sony’s long-term strategy and planning.
Connection Between Games and Investor Behavior
Sony’s gaming hits often lead to short-term stock surges and investor optimism. For instance:
Ghost of Tsushima (2020) saw the stock movement upward as those sales exceeded 8M units.
Ghost of Yōtei launched in October 2025 and its PS5 Limited Edition have also resurfaced the investor energy to higher levels, thus contributing to the higher trading volumes and the stronger foreign investment.
Institutional investors like Vanguard and BlackRock track such releases closely, their market moves often align with the release of big and major titles or making hardware expansions.
Final Thoughts
Sony’s shareholder base is a reflection of its global strength and investor trust. With nearly half of its shares held by the powerful institutions and over 58% foreign ownership, the company stands as a symbol of the Japan’s global business success.
Understanding who owns Sony helps you understand its future:
When big funds buy, confidence is rising.
When they sell, the market listens.
And as the gaming division continues to power Sony’s revenue, titles like Ghost of Yōtei aren’t just cultural hits, they’re financial engines that keep Sony’s investors watching closely.
