PETALING JAYA: With the oil and gas (O&G) sector being the hardest hit in the current market rout, tycoons who own significant stakes in these companies have seen a huge loss in their net worth.
These tycoons had collectively had their shareholding in these companies valued at some RM15.89bil when O&G stocks were trading at their highest prices. The fall in global crude oil prices and the plunge in the value of O&G stocks on Bursa Malaysia saw the value of their shareholding cut by almost half to some RM7.86bil yesterday.
Accelerating the decline in share prices yesterday and the loss in their net worth was the decision by Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) to slash its capital expenditure (capex) by between 15% and 20% next year.
Petronas’ capex cut has spooked investors in the local O&G sector as many companies rely on the national oil company for work. Petronas’ huge capex, estimated at RM60bil a year prior to the planned cuts, was also a buffer for the domestic industry from the onslaught of crumbling crude oil prices and its effect elsewhere.
The largest of these companies, SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd, has seen its share price dip by 48.78% year-to-date. At its peak, SapuraKencana was trading at RM4.81, translating to a wealth of RM4.85bil for Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin’s 16.84% stake in the integrated O&G concern.
SapuraKencana was the most actively traded counter yesterday, falling 10.36% to close at RM2.51. At yesterday’s market capitalisation of RM16.76bil, Shahril’s shareholding in the company was valued at RM2.53bil.
Another major shareholder of SapuraKencana is Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir, whose 10.25% interest has also seen a decline by almost half its value. At yesterday’s price, Mokhzani’s stake in SapuraKencana was valued at RM1.54bil compared to the RM2.95bil it was worth during its highest level.
Mokhzani had sold a block of 190.3 million shares in SapuraKencana earlier this year when the stock was trading at around RM4.30 per share, giving the entire sale a value of RM818.29mil. The shares were taken up by seven institutions.
Another stock in which Mokhzani has an interest in, Yinson Holdings Bhd
, was also not spared from the bearish sentiment surrounding O&G stocks. Yinson’s share price has declined from its peak to close at RM2.45 on Dec 1. Based on yesterday’s price, Mokhzani’s stake in the company was worth RM235mil.
Billionaire Robert Kuok, T Ananda Krishnan, Tan Sri Ngau Boon Keat and Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan are also part of the list of value losers in this O&G stock meltdown.
Kuok owns 80% of PACC Offshore Services Holdings (POSH Semco), an offshore marine services provider that was listed on the Singapore Exchange in April 2014 at a price of S$1.15 per share. POSH Semco closed yesterday at S$0.51, meaning that Kuok has lost more than half the value of his stake in that company.
Similarly, Ananda’s worth from his 42.3% shareholding in BUMI ARMADA BHD has gone down by half the value it was during the peak of its share price. To be noted is that Bumi Armada had undertaken a rights issue in August this year that has seen the dilution of Ananda’s shareholding in the company.
Bumi Armada, Malaysia’s largest offshore support vessel firm, was relisted in 2011 at a price of RM3.03 per share. The stock dived into penny-stock territory yesterday, falling to a low of 98 sen before ending the day at RM1.01 per share. Based on yesterday’s price, Ananda’s stake in Bumi Armada was valued at RM2.06bil.
Dialog Group Bhd’s Ngau, meanwhile, has seen the value of Dialog’s stock fall. His stake was worth RM1.45bil based on yesterday’s closing price of RM1.26. This is about a one-third decline from the RM2.25bil his 23.2% stake was valued at when the stock had hit a high of RM1.96.
Stock investors such as Quek and his lieutenant Paul Poh are also edging into negative territory.
Quek had bought his 9% in TH Heavy Engineering Bhd (THHE) in 2013 at a price of 45 sen per share, enjoying gains for most of this year – the stock had hit a high of RM1.03 on Feb 19 this year. THHE closed yesterday’s trade at 40.5 sen a share, giving Quek a paper worth of RM38mil for his shareholding in the company as opposed to RM80mil as at the end of last year.
In April, Quek and Poh also took a block of 15.5% in ALAM MARITIM RESOURCES BHD at RM1.35 a share. They are sitting on a paper loss of some RM80mil today, or a decline of over 40%.
