Wednesday 08 May 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (June 18): Kretam Holdings Bhd's stock price nosedived in early trade today to its lowest since September 2015, after its plans to sell a 55% stake to Hap Seng Plantations Holdings Bhd had been called off.

The stock opened 20.5 sen lower at 49 sen as trading resumed at Bursa Malaysia this morning. It then saw its share price plummet to a low of 39.5 sen subsequently, representing a 43.2% drop from its last closing price.

Short selling of the plantation company has been suspended for the rest of the day as it breached its limit-down, the stock exchange announced.

This leaves Kretam shares last traded at 44.5 sen — still down 25 sen or 36% — after a total of 73.84 million shares exchanged. Kretam is now valued at a market capitalisation of RM1.04 billion.

Last Thursday (June 14), it was announced to the stock exchange that Hap Seng Plantations has decided not to proceed with the acquisition of a 55% stake in Kretam, after it found the results of the due diligence of the latter to be "unsatisfactory and unacceptable".

The deal, which was for 1.28 billion Kretam shares at 92 sen apiece in cash, was first made known to the public in February.

Hap Seng has since exercised its right to terminate the share sale agreement with immediate effect.

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