THE optics of Tanco Holdings Bhd
’s groundbreaking ceremony for its multibillion ringgit AI Port project in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, were enough to trigger a big jump in trading interest in the stock this week.
Tanco’s shares were the most actively traded on Bursa Malaysia, with daily trading volume accounting for about 12% to 18% of the market’s total volume during the first three trading days of the week.
Unfortunately, the subsequent price action suggested a classic pump-and-dump exercise.
From a technical analysis point of view, Wednesday’s rally to 59.5 sen during a volatile morning session closed the trading gap that formed after Tanco’s shares plunged from above RM1.70 to a low of 12 sen over seven trading days last month, following heavy selling by controlling shareholders Datuk Andrew Tan Jun Suan and others, as well as concerns over the stock’s rich valuation.
Tanco’s share price has since retraced some of those losses and was last trading at 30 sen a piece.
Its prospects could very well depend on how the RM3.5bil port project pans out.
The increased trading interest in the company’s shares this week was triggered by its announcements to the local exchange about having gotten the necessary approvals to start undertaking construction works on the proposed new port.
How Tanco will finance the RM3.5bil project is still unclear.
For retail investors sitting on paper losses, consider this episode a trading lesson on being mindful that share prices must be backed by fundamentals over the long run.
