ON Feb 22, 58.95 million shares, or a 0.54% stake, in Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) were acquired by AmanahRaya Trustees Bhd on behalf of Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) for RM598.3 million or RM10.15 per share.

This is the single largest transaction involving the country’s largest banking group so far this year, surpassing the 41.6 million shares acquired by ASB on Jan 17 and 45 million shares disposed of by Permodalan Nasional Bhd on Jan 5.

The shares were acquired by ASB at a 0.49% discount to the the day’s closing price of RM10.20; during the day, they traded at between RM10.14 and RM10.20 apiece. Maybank closed at RM10.46 last Wednesday.

PT Safe Tower Systems Sdn Bhd (PTSTS) is no longer a substantial shareholder of Rohas Tecnic Bhd, having sold 10 million shares, or a 2.12% stake, in the power transmission, engineering and construction company on Feb 27. The shares were disposed of at RM1.45 per share, a discount of 2.03% to 3.33% to the RM1.48 to RM1.50 they were fetching. Rohas Tecnic closed at RM1.45 last Wednesday.

Prior to the disposal, PTSTS held 27.8 million shares, or a 5.88% stake, in Rohas Tecnic. Filings show PTSTS has been paring its stake in the group since Dec 8 last year, after emerging as a substantial shareholder with a 15.4% stake on Oct 31.

A total of 1.65 million shares, or a 1.14% stake, in Vertice Bhd changed hands on Feb 22 through direct deals at 90 sen each. The counter was trading at between 89 sen and 91 sen per share during the day.

Filings show that Vista Lestari Development Sdn Bhd disposed of two million shares on Feb 22, paring its stake to 32.29 million shares or 20.86% equity interest. On the same day, Wong Kwai Wah acquired 1.65 million shares, increasing his holding to 6.61%. As at Feb 28, Wong was the third largest shareholder after Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli (21.72%) and Hillspring Venture Sdn Bhd (9.09%).

On Feb 27, 44.4 million shares, or a 8.76% stake, in Fiamma Holdings Bhd changed hands through direct deals at 55 sen each, a premium to the 50.5 sen to 51 sen they were fetching on the open market. The buyers and sellers were unknown at press time. The counter closed at 51 sen last Wednesday, 9.8% lower from the 56.6 sen seen a year ago.

On Feb 23, Tatt Giap Group Bhd saw 4.34 million shares, or 2.54% equity interest, change hands through direct deals at 12 sen per share. The buyer and seller were unknown at press time but the stake corresponds with the holding of Tan Sri Ooi Kee Liang. The Penang property magnate ceased to be a substantial shareholder after selling 17.06 million shares off market on Feb 13. Ooi, who is executive chairman of Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd, bought 13 million shares from Tatt Giap’s founder and executive chairman Datuk Siah Kok Poay on Dec 28 last year. That raised his holding to 21.4 million shares, or 12.54%.

On Feb 27, Tatt Giap said it was disposing of two pieces of land in Butterworth together with the buildings thereon for RM10.8 million to Fenley Group Trading Sdn Bhd, a manufacturer and trader of joss stick, joss paper and praying elements. Tatt Giap closed at 15 sen last Wednesday.