WHEN it comes to querying companies over unusual share movements, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) is in a no-win position. If it approaches a company for reasons why its shares are in play and receives a reply in the negative, observers then question - and sometimes mock - the effectiveness of the querying process. But if it doesn't query companies after an odd share price and/or volume jump, observers always ask why not.
Few would therefore deny that regulatory work is thankless and that the SGX should be granted a fair amount of latitude when discharging its duties as it must by necessity be selective when deciding what needs to be checked. The problem, however, is that it is sometimes its own...