NOTABLE off-market trades in the holiday-shortened three-day period in review included those at construction company Ecobuilt Holdings Bhd.

A total of 14.32 million of its shares, representing a 8.8% stake, were crossed off market in direct deals on June 7 and 10 for a total of RM3 million. The shares were transacted at 21 sen each, which was Ecobuilt’s closing price on June 4.

At press time, it was not known who the buyers and sellers of the shares were. Ecobuilt’s largest shareholder is its CEO Ong Chee Koen, who holds a 20.8% stake in the company.

Over at Metronic Global Bhd, a total of 69.7 million of its shares, representing a 7.2% stake, changed hands.

The shares were transacted at 7.5 sen and eight sen apiece on June 7 and 11 — at a 7% to 14 % premium to Metronic’s closing price of seven sen on June 4. It was not immediately known who the parties involved in the transaction were.

Country Heights Holdings Bhd founder and chairman Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew emerged as a substantial shareholder in the building management engineering solutions provider last month with the purchase of a 20.7% stake. As at May 31, he had upped his stake in Metronic to 21.2%.

Metronic is currently embroiled in a boardroom tussle as its shareholders, Lagenda Perdana Sdn Bhd and Ng Wai Yuan, have called for an extraordinary general meeting to be held on July 1 to appoint Loh Chye Teik, Seah Soo Chang, Kok Chee Hong and Choo Chung Tiong as directors.

The EGM will also decide on proposals to remove Hoo Wai Keong, Datuk Kua Khai Shyuan and Khor Ben Jin as directors of the group.

On May 9, Metronic announced it was taking action against a group of shareholders that held 39% of the group, with Lagenda Perdana and Ng named among the defendants.

Metronic claimed that these shareholders failed to undertake a mandatory general offer after they gained control of the company.

On June 7, Xian Leng Holdings Bhd, which is involved in the commercial captive breeding of Asian Arowana, stingray and other ornamental fish, saw three million of its shares or a 3.8% stake change hands in direct trades at 45 sen each.

A likely seller of the shares is Tay Seng Chew, a non-executive director of Xian Leng who had disposed of 2.5 million shares, representing a 3.14% stake in the company, on June 7 at 45 sen apiece or RM1.1 million in total.

The transaction price was at a 2.3% premium to Xian Leng’ closing price of 44 sen on May 31.

The purchaser of the shares was not known at press time.

Premium cookware manufacturer Ni Hsin Resources Bhd saw a block of 12.35 million of its shares change hands in a direct trade at nine sen apiece or a total of RM1.1 million on June 11. This represented 3.89% of its equity interest, if the shares bought back by the company and retained as treasury shares were excluded.

The shares were acquired by Khoo Chee Kong at a 50% discount to its closing price of 18 sen on June 10. With the acquisition, Khoo, who is the managing director of a few of Ni Hsin’s subsidiaries, now has an 18.3% stake in the company and is its largest shareholder.

Over at candy manufacturer Khee San Bhd, two blocks of shares totalling 1.6 million and representing 1.5% equity interest were traded off market in direct deals.

A block of one million shares crossed at 45 sen apiece on June 7 — at an almost 13% premium to Khee San’s closing price of 40 sen on June 4 — while a further 600,000 shares were transacted at 37 sen apiece on June 11, which was at a 2.6% discount to the stock’s closing price of 38 sen on June 10.

At press time, it was not immediately known who the buyers and sellers of the blocks of shares were.