2022 has been a rough month for many ASX shares, not to mention the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO). Since the start of the year, the All Ords remains down by more than 13%, even after today's monster rally. But that's nothing compared to the Pure Hydrogen Corporation (ASX: PH2) share price.
Pure Hydrogen shares have been smashed this year. The company started 2022 at a price of 57 cents a share. But as of today's close, its share price is 22 cents. That's down 61.4% year to date.
It's certainly been a wild ride for the company over the year so far. Pure Hydrogen saw some big share price rises earlier in the year following news of a joint venture that will see the company working to supply hydrogen-powered vehicles to the Indian market.
We also saw renewed interest following the March announcement that Pure Hydrogen would seek to develop and commercialise the manufacture of 'turquoise hydrogen'.
But more recent months have seen investor confidence wane. This has resulted in Pure Hydrogen shares retreating back to the 22 cent level we see today.
Pure Hydrogen share price suspended… What happened?
However, the Pure Hydrogen share price might be stuck at 22 cents for a while. That's because the company's shares have actually been suspended from ASX trading as of this morning. Before market open today, Pure Hydrogen put out an ASX notice to the markets confirming a share price suspension from quotation.
Here's that notice in full:
The securities of Pure Hydrogen Corporation Limited ('PH2') will be suspended from quotation immediately under Listing Rule 17.3, pending ASX's inquiries into a PH2 presentation made selectively available on 23 June 2022.
And that's all we know for now.
The "PH2 presentation made selectively available on 23 June 2022" would appear to be the presentation Pure Hydrogen released on that day. This outlined the settlement the company reached with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It stated:
Pure Hydrogen has settled a dispute to repay R & D tax incentive refunds with the Department of Industry and Science (ISA) and the Australia Taxation Office (ATO)…
Accordingly, Pure Hydrogen will have turnaround of approximately $13.1M – it will no longer [be] liable for a claim from the ATO of $7.2M to repay R & D tax incentive refunds and instead be entitled to a refund estimated at $5.9M.
So it's unclear why this presentation has caused the ASX to initiate an inquiry into the company at this stage. We shall have to wait and see what the company says next.
Meantime, the last Pure Hydrogen share price gives the company a market capitalisation of around $75.26 million.
