‘Fat finger’ error sends airline stock on wild ride


Shares in one of the Philippines’ largest airline plunged by almost 40 per cent before quickly recovering almost all of their value, prompting talk among brokers of a so-called ‘fat finger’ error. The curious movements in Cebu Pacific’s stock began late in Tuesday’s trading session in Manila, when shares in the airline rapidly fell by 37 per cent from to 58 Philippine pesos from 98 pesos during the run-off period immediately prior to the bourse’s close. Orders cannot be cancelled during the run-off period. That represented the airline’s biggest one-day fall since going public nearly a decade ago.  On Wednesday, Cebu Pacific’s stock opened 50 per cent higher when trading began in the Philippine capital to 87 pesos, where it stayed into the afternoon.  © FT Rens Cruz, an analyst at Regina Capital Development in Manila, said the initial plunge in the stock had been caused by a major broker erroneously entering a sell order at the low ball price of 58 pesos, rather than 98 pesos, a share on Tuesday.  “Other brokers went in and bought the selling order, so (the stock) effectively dropped to PHP58 for yesterday,” he said. It was “an obvious trading error”. The stock has so far not been able to recoup all of the losses caused by the error due to daily trading limits in place during regular trading hours in Manila, but could do so during the exchange’s run-off period, when the ceiling is lifted. Cebu Pacific did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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