What happened
With Chinese stocks falling off the cliff Monday, it wasn't surprising to see Luokung Technology (LKCO -6.21%) shares take a hit, too. The huge drop in the price of the Chinese tech stock, though, caught investors off guard: Luokong shares were down an astounding 26.4% as of 3:30 p.m. EDT today.
So what
Two developments rattled investors in Luokung.
First were investor concerns about China, what with China Evergrande Group (EGRN.F) reportedly likely to default on billions in debt and file for bankruptcy. As one of China's leading property developers, Evergrande could have a domino effect on the real estate and financial sectors in the nation. If it collapses, it could stall growth and perhaps even drive China into a recession if things take an ugly turn like they did during the Lehman Brothers financial crisis of 2008.
China is also among the fastest-growing markets for autonomous cars, and Luokung in particular is betting on that for growth.
Image source: Getty Images.
Not surprisingly, the looming Evergrande threat is a big one that saw investors fleeing Chinese stocks in panic. Luokung in particular was hit really hard as it's a small-cap stock that had quite a run-up last week. Prices of small-cap stocks are typically volatile.
To make matters worse, on Sept. 20, Luokung announced a stock offering of shares worth $32.8 million at $1.20 a share to institutional investors to raise funds for working capital and general corporate purposes.
That offer price represented a sharp drop from Luokung's Friday closing price of $1.59 per share. As expected, the stock crashed by double digits below $1.20 a share soon after the announcement and remained under pressure through the day.
Now what
Luokung's subsidiary eMapgo Technologies is among the largest mapping companies in China, striving to expand into global markets. It has notable partners, including Microsoft and Geely Automobile Holdings, China's largest automaker.
As exciting as these facts and Luokung's prospects appear, China woes could stall the company's growth plans. So if you're an investor in Luokung, you might want to brace for a bumpy ride.
