Singtel to say farewell to ASX

Optus owner Singtel plans to ditch its ASX listing, but won't be cutting back on investment in Australia.

The Singapore-based company behind Optus says it has no plans to sell or cut back investment in the telco, despite ditching its listing on the Australian stock market.

Singtel has requested its CHESS Depository Interests (CDI) be removed from trading on the ASX, due to a lack of interest from investors, who it says prefer to hold shares at in its main listing in Singapore.

Singtel group chief corporate officer Jeann Low said the move would have no impact on Optus and that there were no plans to sell off Australia's second biggest telco.

"This de-listing does not affect our investment commitment or the strategic importance that we have on Optus to continue to compete in the Australia market," he said.

"We will continue to invest in both fixed an mobile infrastructure."

Singtel has around 19,000 shareholders in Australia.

The market capitalisation of its listing here is worth between $500 million and $600 million, which is less than one per cent of Singtel's $SGD71 billion ($A68 billion) market value.

The company says daily trading volumes for the Australian CDI's are low and the lack of liquidity has reduced their weighting in the S&P/ASX200 index to just 0.03 per cent.

The ASX has already indicated it is likely to approve the de-listing request, with Singtel's shares expected to stop trading in Australia on May 29.

As a result, local investors will need to sell their holding or transfer it to Singapore's stock market.

The move also means Singtel will no longer need to pay listing fees in Australia, but Ms Low said the size of the saving was "not a significant consideration".

Singtel will retain its Optus advisory committee and chairman Paul O'Sullivan will remain in his position.

The company's shares closed four cents lower at $4.17.


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Source: AAP


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