Narrowing the gap between share price and fair value

Value disparity: A file photo of Bursa Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. A dividend reinvestment plan is one way for a company to conserve cash outlay and improve equity value.

Less than a month ago, a minority shareholder of Singapore-listed Great Eastern Holdings Ltd (GEH), representing a group of other minority shareholders, requested for the company to table, among others, three resolutions in the upcoming annual general meeting (AGM).

The three resolutions were in relation to withholding 30% of the directors’ fees until GEH’s share price recovers to 0.8 times of its Embedded Value (EV); to replace the OCBC Bank Ltd’s shares in the current executive share option schemes (Esos) with GEH shares; and to appoint an independent financial adviser to explore options to enhance GEH’s shareholders’ value.