Hot Stock IRCB rises to 21-mth high on debt restructure,share buy by substantial holder

Hot Stock IRCB rises to 21-mth high on debt restructure, share buy by
substantial holder

Business & Markets 2013
Written by Ho Wah Foon of theedgemalaysia.com
Wednesday, 13 February 2013 12:30


KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 13): Integrated Rubber Corp Bhd's (IRCB) share price advanced to 22-month high on the back of news that the government’s CDRC has agreed to help in its debt structure plan and a substantial shareholder has acquired more shares from the open market.

At 12.05 pm, the most-actively traded stock rose 22 sen or 10% to 22 sen, after rising to 23 sen earlier, on trades of 21.43 million shares.

On Feb 8, the IRCB told Bursa Malaysia that the Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee (CDRC) has approved its application for assistance to mediate with its creditor banks over loans of RM16.89 million defaulted last December.

The company is required to submit restructuring scheme which must comply with CDRC's restructuring principles for IRCB to remain under the Informal Standstill Arrangement with the bankers within 60 days from Feb 6, it added.

Also on Feb 8, IRCB informed the stock exchange that its substantial shareholder Lau Joo Yong had acquired some 4.13 million IRCB shares on Jan 31 from the open market, thus raising his stake in the rubber glove company to 7.57%.

Lau had also bought some 1.2 million IRCB shares from the open market on Jan 29.
“The latest developments in the company are injecting some optimism. If a substantial shareholder is picking up IRCB shares,it means that he has confidence in the future of this PN17 company,” said Goh Kay Chong, senior remiser at SJ Securities
Sdn Bhd.

On January 22, IRCB announced that it was facing possible winding up procedures if it failed to pay back its RM16.89 million debts to Maybank Bhd. There would be major impact on its financials and operations should the winding up proceedings be taken upon the company, it said.
But despite this bad news, its share price continued to climb from 14 sen since.

Dealers reasoned that IRCB’s recent appointment of new director Cheang Phoy Kean, who was controlling another rubber glove company before, could be the reason that the share price was not affected much.

Cheang was appointed as managing director of IRCB, following the resignation of major shareholder Tan Keng Beng, after his (Tan) family sold a 10.98% stake to Cheang via an off-market deal.
IRCB also announced earlier last month the appointments of Cheang’s son, Sean Kar Seng Cheang, as an executive director and Lim Boon Huat as a non-executive director.

Bursa Malaysia filings show that Cheang Phoy Kean emerged as a substantial shareholder in IRCB on Jan 4, following his acquisition of 65 million shares at 15 sen per share.
The Tan family has since to cut down its stake in the company further. On Feb 5, the family sold some 30 million IRCB shares via off market transaction, Bursa filings show. As a result, the family is now no longer a substantial shareholder.

IRCB made a cumulative net loss of RM18 million in the nine months ended Oct 31, 2012, compared with a net loss of RM17.93 million a year earlier.

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/230648-hot-stock-ircb-rises-to-21-mth-high-on-debt-restructure-share-buy-by-substantial-holder.html