DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A biotech company that once claimed to have a 'cure' for COVID-19 just filed for bankruptcy, sending shares plunging 61%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sorrento Therapeutics plunged as much as 61% on Monday after the biotech company filed for bankruptcy. The company made headlines in 2020 after its founder claimed Sorrento discovered a COVID-19 "cure." Sorrento surged 243% in a day after the exec's comments, and later landed in the crosshairs of shortseller Hindenburg. Hindenburg released a scathing report on the biotech firm following Ji's comments, which caused Sorrento's stock to drastically decline in value. Over two years later the company has landed in bankruptcy court amid mounting debt and ongoing lawsuits, causing investors to offload shares and cut the company's stock value by more than half.

Adani Group said last week it was considering independent evaluation of issues relating to legal compliance, related party transactions and internal controls following the Hindenburg report. Grant Thornton has been hired to conduct independent audits of some Adani Group companies, said the sources, declining to be named as the appointment is confidential. One of the sources added that Grant Thornton would look at whether related-party transactions at the Adani Group complied with corporate governance standards. Grant Thornton and Adani Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its rebuttal, Adani had said "all related party transactions are at arm's length, properly disclosed and reviewed/audited by statutory independent auditors."

☆ India's largest insurer LIC says it may review stake in Adani after management meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowIndia's largest insurer says it "might" review its stake in the embattled Adani Group after meeting with the management. "We propose to speak to them about this ... just to try and understand what's really happening within the organization, within the Adani group." In a further blow, global index provider MSCI last week said it will cut the weightings of some Adani Group businesses, including flagship firm Adani Enterprises. Still, the LIC chairman said the national insurer isn't too concerned about the conglomerate's high debt levels or the recent volatility in Adani's share price. Adani falloutThe Adani fallout has raised concerns about the group's exposure to India's leading banks and insurers.

☆ Indian shares set for muted start ahead of inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Indian shares are set for a muted start on Monday, as investors await domestic retail inflation data today as well as U.S. inflation data due later in the week, amid uncertainty over the Adani Group. India's NSE stock futures listed on the Singapore exchange were down 0.12% at 17,856 as of 8:05 a.m. IST. Investors await India's retail inflation data for January, due today. A Reuters poll of economists showed that India's annual retail inflation rose from a 12-month low in December, but stayed within the 6% upper limit of RBI's tolerance band in January. ($1 = 82.5250 Indian rupees)Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane VenkatramanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SINGAPORE, Feb 13 (Reuters) - DBS Group (DBSM.SI) has a tightly managed exposure to India's Adani group of companies, the chief executive of Southeast Asia's largest bank said on Monday. DBS was among a group of banks which provided finance to Adani's $10.5 billion acquisition of Holcim's (HOLN.S) cement business in India last year. "They're solid, cash-generating companies, so we're not concerned about the exposure," Chief Executive Piyush Gupta told reporters after DBS reported quarterly results. The cement industry has huge potential, given the growth in the market, Gupta said, "and so that exposure is quite tightly managed." New York-based short-seller Hindenburg Research accused the Adani Group in a Jan. 24 report of stock manipulation and improper use of offshore tax havens that it said obscured the extent of Adani family stock ownership in group firms.

☆ Adani slashes growth targets amid rout sparked by Hindenburg, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 12 (Reuters) - India's Adani group has halved its revenue growth target and plans to scale down fresh capital expenditure, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday. Adani group will now shoot for revenue growth of 15% to 20% for at least the next financial year, down from 40% originally targeted, Bloomberg News said citing people familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for Adani Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Adani group has also been a part of India's market regulator's investigation into the group's links to some of the investors in its scrapped $2.5 billion share sale. Earlier this month, India's ministry of corporate affairs started a preliminary review of Adani Group's financial statements and other regulatory submissions made over the years, Reuters reported, citing two senior government officials.

☆ Adani slashes growth targets amid rout sparked by Hindenburg - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ Adani group firms pledge shares for lenders of flagship company – SBICAP Trustee
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Three Adani group companies have pledged shares for lenders to the Indian conglomerate's flagship Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), which pulled a $2.5 billion share sale during a recent market rout, the debt trustee firm said. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS), Adani Transmission Ltd (ADAI.NS) and Adani Green Energy Ltd (ADNA.NS) pledged shares to SBICAP Trustee Co, the firm said in Friday filings to the Bombay Stock Exchange. SBICAP Trustee said it had received the pledges in its capacity as "security trustee" of the lenders of Adani Enterprises. Fitch estimates that loans to all Adani group entities account for 0.8% to 1.2% of total lending by Indian banks rated by the agency. The Adani exposure of Indian banks is not enough to affect their credit profiles, two global rating agencies have said.

☆ Morning Bid: The waiting game
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Worries over an economic slowdown, the direction of inflation and concerns about the pace of monetary tightening are all weighing on sentiment. But before that, UK GDP data for fourth quarter is due later on Friday and is expected to be flat, according to a Reuters poll. That's the third time it has scaled a new peak in less than a week and the GDP report will likely influence the market on the day. Investors are also waiting for Japan's government to present the new Bank of Japan governor nominee, also due on Tuesday. Since short-seller Hindenburg published its report on Adani last month, some $110 billion has been wiped off the value of the group's main seven listed firms.

SYDNEY, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Index provider MSCI said it has cut the free-float designations of four securities of India's Adani group, a move which analysts have warned could impact their index weightings. MSCI said in a statement it has reduced the free floats of Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), Adani Total Gas (ADAG.NS), Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS) and ACC (ACC.NS). The remaining companies' free floats will remain the same. The four companies for which the free float designation change was announced had a combined 0.4% weighting in the MSCI emerging markets index as of Jan. 30. Analysts had said a change in free float status could affect the weightings of MSCI index constituents, possibly triggering a shift by funds as many investments are aligned to such indexes.

One U.S. holder of Adani bonds looked to buy more this week but said his trade orders were not being executed because of lack of available paper. Another U.S. based emerging markets focused money manager who held Adani bonds said he was sitting tight on his position. Indian companies have not been prolific issuers of U.S. dollar bonds and Adani's bonds with secured assets were seen as providing direct, quality exposure to the fast-growing economy. Another source, a U.S. based hedge fund manager, said he was looking to short Adani's dollar bonds after the Hindenburg report but was finding it difficult to borrow bonds to sell. Bid-offer spreads, a measure of liquidity, widened significantly after the Hindenburg report, Tradeweb data showed.

☆ MSCI to cut weighting of four Adani firms in wake of Hindenburg report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People walk past a screen displaying news featuring on Adani Group inside the BSE building in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Index provider MSCI said it will cut the weightings of four Adani Group companies, including flagship firm Adani Enterprises , in its indexes after reassessing the number of shares that are freely traded. The move comes in the wake of a Jan. 24 report by U.S. short seller Hindenburg Research that has accused the Indian conglomerate of improper use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation. The Hindenburg report has plunged the group, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, into crisis, wiping some $110 billion off the value of the group's main seven listed firms. In addition to Adani Enterprises — the group's coal-miner-cum-incubator for new projects, MSCI also plans to cut the weightings for Adani Total Gas — a venture with France's TotalEnergies and Adani Transmission , a power transmission company.

☆ Gautam Adani will be playing defense for a while after mauling by Hindenburg
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The sprawling Adani Group, which he founded over 30 years ago, has established interests in industries ranging from logistics to mining. “We view this as validation of our findings on offshore stock parking by Adani,” Hindenburg founder Nate Anderson said on Twitter. In its report, Hindenburg had alleged that “offshore shells and funds tied to the Adani Group comprise many of the largest ‘public’ holders of Adani stock.”An Adani Group spokesperson declined to comment. Meanwhile, Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, said Thursday it has “for all practical purposes…fully divested,” from the Adani companies. The loans were backed by shares in Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission.

NEW DELHI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s enormous popularity remains intact despite the biggest political attack on him in years as rivals accuse his government of giving undue favours to the Adani Group, approval ratings showed on Friday. Without referring to Adani, Modi told parliament this week that the "blessings of 1.4 billion people in the country are my protective cover and you can't destroy it with lies and abuses", as opposition lawmakers chanted "Adani, Adani". Data from polling agency C-Voter, shared with Reuters, seems to suggest support for the prime minister has not waned, although the survey did not refer to the Adani issue. Almost half of those surveyed until Feb. 5 were "very much satisfied" with Modi’s work as prime minister and a further 30% said they were "satisfied to some extent". Rivals accuse Modi and the BJP of longstanding ties with the apples-to-airports Adani Group, going back nearly two decades when Modi was chief minister of the western state of Gujarat.

☆ MSCI’s Adani cut signals fat tail risks for India
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Hindenburg founder Nathan Anderson sees MSCI's move as a validation of his group’s findings of “stock parking” by Adani. The Securities and Exchange Board of India, headed by former banker Madhabi Puri Buch, acknowledged unusual price movements this month, but without naming the Adani group. But the longer the controversy drags on, there will be a fat tail risk for Adani and all his stakeholders. CONTEXT NEWSGlobal index provider MSCI on Feb. 9 cut its determined free floats for four Adani companies. It reduced those of Adani Enterprises, Adani Total Gas, Adani Transmission and ACC, and said any resulting changes will be implemented at the close of Feb. 28.

☆ Indian regulator probes Adani's links to investors as Modi's office is briefed
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

One of the sources said the focus of the probe would be whether any of the anchor investors are "connected" to the founder group. Last week, the group's flagship entity Adani Enterprises pulled its secondary share offering, India's largest ever, because of the sharp selloff. SEBI and the Adani Group did not respond to requests for comment about the investigation. The federal corporate affairs ministry, responsible for regulating Indian businesses, has briefed officials in Modi's office and been in touch with SEBI, the market regulator, one of the officials said. Modi's office and India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs did not respond to requests for comment about the regulatory probe into Adani after publication of the Hindenburg report.

[1/3] Indian billionaire Gautam Adani speaks during an interview with Reuters at his office in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad April 2, 2014. Last week, the group's flagship entity Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) pulled its secondary share offering, India's largest ever, because of the sharp selloff. Adani has said Monarch was selected for previous share sales "for their credentials and ability to tap into the retail market". On Elara, Adani has said "innuendoes" that the firm was in any manner related to the conglomerate founders were incorrect. The federal corporate affairs ministry, responsible for regulating Indian businesses, has briefed officials in Modi's office and been in touch with SEBI, the market regulator, one of the officials said.

☆ India's top court says investor interests must be protected after Adani report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of the Adani Group is seen on a building, in Mumbai, India, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Francis MascarenhasNEW DELHI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - India's top court, hearing two petitions related to large investor losses following a report by a U.S. short seller on the Adani conglomerate, said on Friday that investor interests need to be protected. The petitions were filed days after the Jan. 24 report by New York-based Hindenburg Research, which accused the Adani group of improper use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation. The petitions were filed under a provision of Indian law that allows any individual to raise an issue concerning public interest before the Supreme Court. Last week, the group's flagship entity Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) pulled its secondary share offering, India's largest ever, because of the selloff.

☆ Adani Group reels after report from U.S. short-seller Hindenburg
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It says it holds short positions in Adani Group companies through U.S.-traded bonds and non-Indian-traded derivative instruments. JAN. 26* Adani Group says it is evaluating "remedial and punitive action" against Hindenburg under U.S. and Indian laws. JAN 28* Index provider MSCI says it is seeking feedback on Adani Group and associated securities and is aware of the Hindenburg report. JAN 30* Adani Group issues a detailed riposte to the Hindenburg report, saying it complies with all local laws and had made the necessary regulatory disclosures. * Index provider MSCI says it will cut weightings of four Adani Group companies, including Adani Enterprises, in its indexes after reassessing the number of freely traded shares.

The Adani Group has denied any wrongdoing. "Depending on the outcome of the MSCI review, we could see more pressure on select Adani group stocks." "This determination has triggered a free float review of the Adani Group securities." Adani Group did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. They accuse his government of giving undue favours to the Adani Group, a charge denied by the government and the company.

"Depending on the outcome of the MSCI review, we could see more pressure on select Adani group stocks." "MSCI has determined that the characteristics of certain investors have sufficient uncertainty that they should no longer be designated as free float ... This determination has triggered a free float review of the Adani Group securities," it added. Adani group did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS), Adani Total Gas (ADAG.NS) and Adani Power (ADAN.NS) were each down 5%, while Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSE.NS) were down nearly 2.9%.

☆ Bullish bets on Asian FX ease as Fed rate-hike concerns weigh - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Himanshi Akhand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Long positions on the South Korean won , the Singapore dollar and the Indonesian rupiah eased, while market participants turned bearish on the Indian rupee , according to a fortnightly poll of 10 respondents. The dollar is currently hovering near a one-month high after blockbuster U.S. jobs data last Friday boost expectations that the Fed may continue to hike rates to tame inflation. Investors also scaled back long bets on China's yuan , to a near one-month low, the Malaysian ringgit as well as Asia's best-performing currency this year, the Thai baht . Meanwhile, investors turned slightly bearish on the Indian rupee as concerns over a rout in local equities filtered into money markets. The poll uses estimates of net long or short positions on a scale of minus 3 to plus 3.

☆ Indian shares muted on Fed rate-hike concerns; Adani stocks tumble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Indian shares struggled for direction on Thursday, on concerns over the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate-hike trajectory, while a drop in Adani Group company stocks also dampened sentiment. Twenty-six of the Nifty 50 constituents declined, with Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS) and Adani Ports (APSE.NS) falling 7.9% and 3.5%, respectively. Index provider MSCI said on Thursday it had determined that some Adani securities should no longer be designated as free float. read moreSeveral institutional investors and funds allocate as per the MSCI index and consider it a benchmark. If the weightage of Adani stocks gets reduced in the index following a review, it would lead to outflows and likely result in a slide in the group's stock, two analysts said.

☆ MSCI reviews Adani Group securities amid sell-off crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"This determination has triggered a free float review of the Adani Group securities." Adani Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Adani Group has rejected the criticism and denied any wrongdoing. MSCI said the Adani review would be carried out as part of its regular February review. The index provider said in late January it was seeking feedback from market participants as the sell-off crisis engulfed Adani.

☆ MSCI to announce changes to free float status of some Adani securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Index provider MSCI said on Thursday it had determined that some Adani securities should no longer be designated as free float after market participants raised concerns about the eligibility of the Indian conglomerate's companies for some of its indexes. Changes for Adani securities associated with its MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes are due to be announced on Thursday as part of its regular review for February, it added. The Adani Group has denied the allegations, saying the short seller's narrative of stock manipulation has "no basis" and stems from an ignorance of Indian law. MSCI defines the free float of a security as the proportion of shares outstanding that is considered available for purchase in public equity markets by international investor. Adani Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Search resuls for: "Hindenburg"

25 mentions found