AIO Finance Analysis

Jade Technologies Holdings

The 51 per cent drop in the share price of leadframes manufacturer, commodities & resources trader and real estate developer, Jade Technologies Holdings, since mid-October 2007 from 40.5 cents prompted group president and non-executive director Anthony Soh Guan Cheow to acquire an initial 5.5 million shares (direct) last Monday at 20 cents each. Mr Soh also has deemed interest of 445.7 million shares or 45.97 per cent of the issued capital.
The purchase was made after the group, along with listed firm E3 Holdings, announced that they would acquire a 49 per cent stake in oil refinery and 100 per cent stake in a 3 km land parcel in Jilin Province in mainland China. The purchase by Mr Soh was the first on-market trade by a director or substantial shareholder in Jade Technologies since July 2007.
The stock closed sharply lower at 12 cents on Friday.

UOB Kay Hian Holdings

Chairman and managing director Wee Ee Chao recorded his first trade in investment holding firm UOB Kay Hian Holdings in the past five years, with 1.29 million shares purchased last Tuesday and Wednesday at $1.74 each. The trade increased his deemed holdings to 117.9 million shares or 16.3 per cent. The rare acquisitions were made on the back of the 29 per cent drop in the share price since November 2007, from $2.42.
The chairman's purchases were significant as they were made at sharply higher than his sale prices in 2003. He previously sold 5.8 million shares from August to December 2003 at an average of 89 cents each. Those sales in 2003 were made at a profit based on the 2.7 million shares that he acquired in 2002 at an average of 65 cents each. The fact that he turned from a seller in 2003 to a buyer five years later at a sharply higher price indicates strongly that the stock is undervalued at $1.74 each. The stock closed higher from the chairman's last purchase price to $1.84 on Friday.

ArianeCorp

CEO Kea Kah Kim has reduced his stake in ultra high-capacity data networks provider ArianeCorp by 39.4 million shares or 39 per cent, after the stock fell by 47 per cent from 7.5 cents on Dec 28, 2007. The disposal was made last Monday at four cents each, which lowered his deemed holdings to 62.5 million shares or 8.2 per cent. The sale was made at sharply lower than his previous on-market purchase price, based on the five million shares that he bought from November to December 2004 at an average of 13.9 cents each. The stock has fallen sharply since January last year, from 13 cents to 3.5 cents on Friday.

LottVision

Legg Mason Inc ceased to be a substantial shareholder of digital video designer, developer and distributor, LottVision, on Jan 18 following the sale of 15 million shares at an estimated price of 15.5 cents each. The trade reduced its deemed holdings by 38 per cent - to 24.3 million shares or 4.9 per cent. The group lowered its interest to below 5 per cent on the back of the steep decline in the share price since July 2007, from 69 cents. Not surprisingly, Legg Mason's sale was made at sharply below its open-market purchase prices from April to August last year.The counter closed lower compared to Legg Mason's exit price at 13 cents on Friday.