Stock conversion allows China's Wanda to sell AMC shares amid retail frenzy

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Wanda America Entertainment Inc, a Wanda unit, converted its Class B common stock in AMC to Class A shares on Feb. 1 “in order to permit sales of its common stock,” AMC said in the filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb 5.

The filing did not give details on the amount of stock converted to Class A shares or say whether Wanda had sold any shares in AMC. Wanda did not immediately return a request for comment.

AMC shares touched $17.25 on Feb. 1, almost quadrupling from a week earlier, as social media platforms such as Reddit fuelled frenetic retail buying into heavily-shorted stocks such as AMC and GameStop (NYSE:GME).

AMC shares plunged 41% the next day and the stock is now down about 60% from its Feb. 1 peak.

The social media-fuelled trading frenzy has cooled over the past few days as U.S. financial regulators scrutinize GameStop’s Reddit-driven stock surge.

Wanda, whose businesses range from real estate to entertainment, bought a majority stake in AMC in 2012 for $2.6 billion, in what was then the largest overseas acquisition by a privately held Chinese company.

In 2018, the once-acquisitive Chinese conglomerate trimmed its exposure to the U.S. cinema operator amid tighter regulatory scrutiny by Beijing over Chinese companies’ overseas expansion.

Wanda still owns a controlling stake in AMC, according to the group’s website. Wanda also owns Hollywood producer Legendary Entertainment and Australian cinema chain Hoyts Cinema, the website said.