A lossmaking Chinese chemical manufacturer has seen its stock price soar due partly to its resemblance with a fictional company that features as an acquisition target in a popular television soap opera.
Shares in Shanghai-listed Guizhou Redstar Developing Co rose by the maximum 10 per cent daily limit for a third consecutive trading session on Tuesday, a testament to the speculative zeal of Chinese retail investors. Its shares remained suspended on Wednesday and Thursday.
Retail speculators were a major force behind the boom-bust cycle that rocked China’s stock market last year, during which the main index gained 60 per cent through the first roughly five months of the year before falling by 45 per cent in the subsequent nine weeks. By some estimates, retail investors account for 80 per cent of total trading volume.