reuters
(Reuters) - Two Chinese nationals were accused by the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission of insider trading in Chinese classified advertising website 58.com Inc through their "remarkably timed" purchases of call options.
The SEC said Xiaoyu Xia and Yanting Hu made more than $2 million by investing in the call options just before it was revealed this month that 58.com agreed to buy a 43.2 percent stake in rival Ganji.com, and Tencent Holdings Ltd would invest $400 million in 58.com. This news caused 58.com's share price to rise by about one-third.
The SEC is seeking an asset freeze, to recoup illegal profit and to impose civil fines.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chris Reese)
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