VELESTO Energy Bhd saw 150 million shares, or a 1.8% stake traded for RM45 million in a single direct deal on Aug 6. The transacted price of 30 sen per share was within the day’s trading range of 29 sen to 30.5 sen.

The seller was likely to be Amanahraya Trustees Bhd— Amanah Saham Bumiputera, which has a 36.1% stake after disposing 150 million shares on Aug 6, according to stock exchange filings. Separate filings show Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera having 15.388% deemed interest after buying 152.5 million shares the same day. At press time, Bloomberg data revealed five “buy” calls versus three “hold” on the stock, with target prices ranging from 30 sen to 40 sen.

Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd saw 4.24 million shares, or a 0.29% stake, change hands in a single direct transaction for RM17.3 million on Aug 2. The shares were sold for RM4.07 apiece, close to the day’s trading range of RM3.85 and RM4.10.

The identities of the buyers and sellers were not known. Stock exchange filings show the Employees Provident Fund having a 7.3% stake after buying one million shares and selling 914,400 shares in the open market on Aug 2.

At the time of writing, analysts were overwhelmingly positive on Serba Dinamik. Bloomberg data shows all nine research houses calling a “buy” on the stock with target prices ranging from RM4.65 to RM6.50. The latter implies at least 17.4% upside potential from last Wednesday’s close of RM3.96.

Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust saw 10 million units, or a 0.33% stake, traded for RM1.87 apiece or RM18.7 million in total, in a single direct deal on July 31. The identities of the buyer and seller was not known.

It is worth noting that the Employees Provident Fund has been a net buyer so far this year, raising its holdings from the open market by around 44 million units to a 6.57% stake, or 199.6 million shares in total as at Aug 5. The EPF had a 5.12% stake or 155.6 million shares as at Dec 31, 2018, making it the fourth largest unitholder after Qatar Holding LLC, Tan Sri Desmond Lim Siew Choon and spouse Cindy Tan Kewi Yong, Pavilion REIT’s 2018 annual report show.

Hextar Global Bhd saw a sizeable left-to-right-pocket transaction involving a 18.9% stake in a single direct deal by its largest shareholder on Aug 2.

Formerly known as Halex Holdings Bhd, the company said its directors Datuk Ong Soon Ho and Datuk Ong Choo Meng dealt in the 20 million shares during a closed period, but both still deemed interested in 72.848% of the company following the disposal of the shares for RM16 million by Hextar Holdings Sdn Bhd to Waras Dinamik Sdn Bhd. The transacted price of 80 sen apiece was slightly above the prevailing market price of 74.5 sen that day.

Meanwhile, developer Hua Yang Bhd saw 9.5 million shares, or a 2.7% stake change hands in 19 direct deals of 500,000 shares each on Aug 6. The transacted price of 40 sen apiece was below the 42.5 sen to 45.5 sen the stock fetched on the open market before closing at 45 sen that day.

The identities of the buyers and sellers were not known at the time of writing. An earlier filing dated July 31 shows 210,000 shares acquired on July 25 by three persons related to non-executive director and former CEO Ho Mook Leong, who is the brother-in-law of non-executive director Chew Po Sim, a major shareholder and the mother of CEO Ho Wen Yan.