Twenty-seven companies were added to the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Watch-list Monday (June 5) for failing to meet the revised minimum trading price (MTP) rule.
That makes 78 mainboard-listed companies in all on the list - representing about 10 per cent of all companies listed on the SGX.
All up, 29 companies entered the list yesterday under the regulator's first review since the MTP rule was tweaked last December. This included two firms that failed to meet separate financial entry criteria based on profitability rules.
The MTP framework, which took effect in March last year with a 20-cent minimum trading price for mainboard-listed companies, was intended to highlight to investors those stocks that may be more susceptible to excessive speculation and potential manipulation.
But the 20-cent MTP rule drew fierce criticism from many who saw companies lose millions in market value after being forced to undertake share consolidations.
Some of these companies did so without fixing their underlying problems - which resulted in prices plunging again.
In response to feedback, the SGX relaxed the MTP rule in December so that a mainboard-listed company that maintains a six-month average daily market capitalisation of over $40 million will not be put on the list even if it misses the 20-cent MTP requirement.
The revised MTP criteria have been a boon for two companies, which exited the list yesterday under the latest assessment.
Full story at TNP
The quality of many companies listed on SGX leave much to be desired. Flooded with small cap, useless Sino companies, no one wants to do a blockbuster IPO on our local bourse these days anymore. Little wonder you see folks like OSIM calling it quits here and heading to the HKSE.