Investors punished shares of the satellite groups of Babcock & Brown on Wednesday, the day after the parent company’s decision to halt trading in its shares ahead of its full-year results due on Thursday.

B&B called the halt after its shares slid 23.5 per cent on Tuesday, prompting a price query from the Australian Stock Exchange, and following ongoing media speculation that Phil Green, chief executive, and John Babcock, chairman, would step down.