A year-to-date (YTD) gain of roughly 37% for shares of Square, Inc. has institutional buying written all over it. In fact, the stock’s institutional ownership rate sits at 75% and will likely grow, as the company has made investments in bitcoin transactions and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments. But you don’t need to know the fundamental story because the main factor that drives shares is simply supply and demand – and Square stock has been in demand. Large institutional players have been in accumulation mode as the company continues to outperform expectations. Betting on leading stocks with great fundamentals and increasing institutional activity can be a smart strategy for long-term shareholders.