ON March 8 and 11, cables and connectors manufacturer ConnectCounty Holdings Bhd saw a total of 103.97 million shares or a 31.57% stake change hands off market.

Filings with Bursa Malaysia show that Nexus Creative (MAL) Sdn Bhd has emerged as a substantial shareholder after acquiring 100.48 million shares or a 30.5% stake on March 8 and 11. Nexus Creative, according to its website, is a production house specialising in content creation, such as web, graphics, video and music scoring. Its directors are Peter Wong Pooi Fatt and his wife Lee Su Lin.

ACE Group, whose unit ACE Credit (M) Sdn Bhd is a substantial shareholder in ConnectCounty, is listed as a client of Nexus Creative.

The shares were purchased by Nexus Creative at 25 sen apiece — more than double ConnectCounty’s trading price of 10.5 sen to 11 sen during that period — for a total transaction value of RM25.12 million. The sellers were former ConnectCounty non-executive director Chang Choon Ming, who disposed of 23.35 million shares; ACE Credit, which offloaded 40.78 million shares; and former ConnectCounty non-executive chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, who sold 36.35 million shares.

Wong and Lee were appointed as executive directors of ConnectCounty on March 8 while Chang and Fuzi resigned from the board on the same day, to pursue personal interests.

A further 2.79 million shares were traded off market on March 8 at 5.5 sen apiece — at a 48% discount to the market price that day. It is not known who the buyers and sellers of the shares were at press time.

Property developer Tiger Synergy Bhd saw 100 million shares or an 8.66% stake cross off market during the period in review. On March 11, executive chairman Datuk Tan Wei Lian and his wife Sek Chian Nee disposed of a total of 50 million shares at 4.5 sen apiece — at a 44% discount to the market price.

Tiger Synergy saw a further 50 million shares change hands off market on March 12 at 6.5 sen apiece — at a 13% discount to the market price. The buyers and sellers of the shares were not disclosed at press time.

Digital security solutions provider Securemetric Bhd saw 20 million shares or an 8.21% stake cross off market on March 8.

Bloomberg data shows that the shares were transacted in three blocks and at 41 sen each — at a 26% discount to Securemetric’s market price that day — for a total of RM8.2 million. The shares were likely purchased by Fei Tian Technology (Hong Kong) Ltd, which emerged as a substantial shareholder on March 8 after purchasing 20 million shares. Feitian Technologies Group is a top supplier of user authentication and transaction security for online banking in China.

Meanwhile, Practice Note 17 company Bertam Alliance Bhd saw 12.2 million of its shares transacted on March 7 and 8 at 27.7 sen apiece or RM3.38 million in total.

According to a filing with Bursa, the shares were disposed of by Wisma Jutamas Sdn Bhd, which is no longer a substantial shareholder.

Wisma Jutamas emerged as a substantial shareholder in 2014, when it acquired 68 million shares or a 32.89% stake from Brem Holding Bhd. Its stake in Bertam Alliance now stands at 4.3%.

Over at Marco Holdings Bhd, chairman and largest shareholder Tan Sri Robert Tan Hua Choon acquired 60.27 million of the company’s shares, or a 5.72% stake, via off-market dealings on March 7.

The shares were transacted in three blocks and at 12.5 sen apiece — at a 3.8% discount to the market price — for a total of RM7.53 million.