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☆ Exclusive: India regulator seeks curbs to limit retail investors' derivatives risk -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Retail investor participation in the equity derivatives market jumped 500% in the three years through March, according to data from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Once a broker discloses an investor's net worth and income, exchanges could monitor the person's exposure to futures and options contracts across brokerage firms, the other source said. SEBI had proposed a similar framework in 2017 but dropped the idea when brokers cited difficulties in assessing the net worth of their clients. The regulator revived the idea of curbs because of the study showing widespread losses on equity derivatives trades, the sources said. South Korea's financial markets regulator in 2011 introduced entry barriers for retail investors to trade in equity derivatives, including a minimum deposit and compulsory training.

Persons: SEBI, Jayshree, William Mallard Organizations: Securities and Exchange Board of India, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, India

☆ India's Adani confident of governance and disclosure standards, chairman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage of Adani Group at Adani Defence and Aerospace booth during the Aero India 2023 at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru, India, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. India's Adani Group is confident of its governance and disclosure standards after a top court panel found no lapses at the conglomerate, its chairman said on Tuesday, while detailing the fallout of a U.S. short-seller's scathing report that jolted its stocks. The panel report "confirmed the quality of our group's disclosures and found no instance of any breach," Adani Chairman Gautam Adani said in his first comments on the findings, in a shareholder address at Adani Enterprises' annual general meeting. "While SEBI is still to submit its report, we remain confident of our governance and disclosure standards, Adani said, referring to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Adani Enterprises shares climbed over 4% on Tuesday.

Persons: India's, Gautam Adani, Adani, SEBI, Hindenburg Organizations: Adani Defence, Aerospace, Aero, Air Force, Adani Enterprises, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Adani Group Locations: Bengaluru, India

☆ India's Vedanta slips after Foxconn pulls out of semiconductor JV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BENGALURU, July 11 (Reuters) - India's Vedanta (VDAN.NS) fell over 2% on Tuesday, a day after Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW) said it withdrew from a $19.5 billion semiconductor joint venture with the metals-to-oil conglomerate. The companies partnered last year to set up semiconductor and display production plants in Gujarat state. S&P Global Ratings said that Vedanta's planned semiconductor business does not increase immediate liquidity pressure, adding that it believes there is no immediate sizable funding commitment for the semiconductor project, pending government approval. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the country's market regulator, had imposed a 3 million rupee($36,430.76) fine nearly two weeks ago on Vedanta for disclosure requirement violations regarding the Foxconn venture. Shares of Vedanta fell as much as 2.6% to 275 rupees apiece, after having already fallen over 24% as of last close, since the partnership was announced in February last year.

Persons: Taiwan's Foxconn, Narendra Modi's chipmaking, Varun Vyas, Dhanya Ann Thoppil, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Reuters, Indian, Securities, Exchange Board of India, Vedanta, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Gujarat, Bengaluru

☆ Adani case threatens watchdog’s rising credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In June the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the country’s markets regulator, disciplined two media tycoons for alleged wrongdoing and strengthened disclosure norms for foreign investors. Going all-in on the Adani case would entail working with other law enforcers, such as the Directorate of Enforcement and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. Unless Buch’s team pulls out all the stops, the regulator’s toughest test under her leadership so far is a threat to its rising credibility. The markets regulator on June 12 barred Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Goenka and Chair Emeritus Subhash Chandra from holding key managerial positions in any listed company. In a separate order dated June 22 Sebi barred Eros group Managing Director Sunil Arjan Lulla and three group entities including Eros International Media from the securities market, citing accounting irregularities.

Persons: Puri, Gautam, Punit Goenka, Subhash Chandra, Breakingviews, Sebi, Sunil Arjan Lulla, Antony Currie, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Eros International, Reuters Graphics Reuters, of Revenue Intelligence, Securities, Exchange Board, India, Eros International Media, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI

In the fiscal year 2022 through 2023, HDFC raised 784.15 billion from the debt market, higher than the 500 billion rupees a year before. It has raised 460.62 billion rupees since April this year. Mutual funds hold around 270 billion rupees of HDFC's bonds as of May 31, data from information service provider Prime Database showed. Rival LIC Housing Finance may be the biggest beneficiary of HDFC exiting the market, fund managers said. Other competitors such as ICICI Home Finance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Tata Capital Housing Finance and Shriram Housing Finance could also see an increase in demand for their debt issuances, they said.

Persons: HDFC, Raju Sharma, HFCs, Ajay Manglunia, Laukik Bagwe, Bagwe, IDBI Mutual Fund's Sharma, Dharamraj Dhutia, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: Housing Development Finance Corp, HDFC Bank, Reuters, IDBI Mutual Fund, Securities and Exchange Board of India, JM Financial, AAA, Mutual, LIC, Finance, ICICI Home Finance, Bajaj Housing Finance, Tata Capital Housing Finance, Shriram Housing Finance, Mutual Fund, IDBI Mutual, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, India, HDFC

☆ Exclusive: Mutual funds may not get holdings waiver post HDFC Bank - HDFC merger - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HDFC Bank and HDFC - both heavily owned by mutual funds - are set to conclude a merger in the next few weeks to create India's second-largest financial institution by assets after the State Bank of India. At least 60 equity mutual fund schemes will see their combined exposure to HDFC Bank and HDFC overshoot the 10% cap as of Wednesday. The matter has been referred to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), according to two mutual fund executives. "HDFC Bank and HDFC are fairly liquid stocks and have a lot of demand. Shares of HDFC Bank have risen 6.5% since April 1, 2022, but have still underperormed the broader BSE Bankex, which is up 17%.

Persons: SEBI, Deven Choksey, Jayshree, Varun, Dhanya Ann Thoppil Organizations: HDFC Bank, Reuters, HDFC, State Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Association of Mutual Funds, KRChoksey Holdings, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, India

☆ Sony’s India deal episode hits fresh cliffhanger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, June 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sony's (6758.T) Indian unit keeps running into fresh plot twists. The deal, in the works since late 2021, has already overcome multiple hurdles. Zee has weathered shareholder calls for a rejig of the company’s board and from creditors to declare it insolvent. After all, it is a strategic combination designed to take on Disney (DIS.N), Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), Netflix (NFLX.O) and others. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Punit Goenka, Subhash Chandra, Goenka, Shritama Bose, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Zee Entertainment, Securities, Exchange Board, India, Sony, Disney, Reliance Industries, Netflix, Zee, Twitter, Brookfield, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, London, Teck, China

☆ India regulator proposes curbs on derivative-linked share moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, May 21 (Reuters) - India’s market regulator proposed measures to contain extreme price movements in shares on which futures and options trade, including longer trading suspensions and restricting price movements. The group collectively lost more than $100 billion in market value soon after the Hindenburg report was published. If shares are flagged for additional surveillance and monitoring should there be a daily limit for price moves, the regulator said. "From the perspective of market stability, risk management and protecting the interest of investors, it is desirable to have safeguards against such extreme price movements, SEBI said. Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay and M. Sriram; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India regulator proposes halving IPO listing time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MUMBAI, May 21 (Reuters) - India’s market regulator proposed halving the time needed to list shares on the nation's stock exchanges from the closure of initial public offerings (IPOs) to three days. The proposed reduction in timelines for listing and trading of shares would benefit issuers and investors, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said in a consultation paper on its website late on Saturday. "Issuers will have faster access to the capital raised, thereby enhancing the ease of doing business, and the investors will have opportunity for having early credit and liquidity of their investments," SEBI said. SEBI invited comments on the proposed change until June 3. Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay and M. Sriram; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Shares of companies of the coal-to-airports conglomerate, controlled by billionaire Gautam Adani, were up between 1.2% to 7% in late trade on Friday in a largely flat wider market. The group's listed companies lost more than $100 billion in market value earlier this year after U.S.-based Hindenburg Research raised several governance concerns. The court on Wednesday granted SEBI additional time until Aug. 14 to complete its investigation into possible violation of securities law and regulatory disclosures by the Adani group. Beside flagship Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS), other group companies include edible oils business Adani Wilmar (ADAW.NS), Adani Ports (APSE.NS), Adani Green Energy (ADNA.NS), Adani Transmission (ADAI.NS), Adani Total Gas (ADAG.NS), Adani Power (ADAN.NS), broadcaster NDTV (NDTV.NS) and cement units ACC Ltd (ACC.NS) and Ambuja Cements (ABUJ.NS). The panel said, citing SEBI, there was evidence of a build-up in short positions on Adani group stocks ahead of the Hindenburg report.

MUMBAI, May 17 (Reuters) - India's Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the country's market regulator additional time till August 14 to complete its investigation into possible violation of securities law and regulatory disclosures by the Adani group. Hindenburg Research had raised several governance concerns around the Adani group, leading to a loss of more than $100 billion in the market capitalisation of companies in the group founded by billionaire Gautam Adani. Following this, the Supreme Court had asked SEBI to probe some of the allegations made and submit a report to a court-appointed panel. Adani group companies are being probed for violation of this law. The Supreme Court directed the market regulator to place on record its findings so far relating to the investigation on violation of public float by the Adani group.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in a filing, said it has approached 11 overseas regulators for information relating to whether the Adani group has violated any norms regarding its publicly available shares. India's Supreme Court is hearing an appeal from SEBI to give it an additional six months to complete its probe into the Adani group. However, the Supreme Court, in oral arguments, said that it was inclined to give a three-month extension. Oral arguments do not necessarily match the final court order, which will likely be given on Monday. Ahead of that order, SEBI, in its filing, reiterated that the Adani group's transactions highlighted by Hindenburg for violating Indian laws are highly complex and included many sub-transactions across numerous jurisdictions.

☆ India’s SEBI to regulate platforms offering fractional ownership of real estate assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW DELHI, May 13 (Reuters) - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed regulating all online platform that offer fractional ownership of real estate assets, in a bid to provide protection to small investors. Fractional ownership typically refers to small investment holdings of real estate assets. The minimum investment on these platforms typically range from 100,000 rupees to 250,000 rupees. The underlying real estate assets offered on these platforms are similar to the real estate or property defined under the REIT Regulations, said SEBI in the discussion paper. Globally such fractional ownership has been in existence since 2015 in markets such as the United States and United Arab Emirates.

MUMBAI, NEW DELHI, April 29 (Reuters) - India’s market regulator has asked for a six-month extension to complete its probe into possible lapses in securities market laws and regulatory disclosures by billionaire Gautam Adani's Adani group, according to a court document seen by Reuters. SEBI and the Adani group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Supreme Court asked the regulator to conduct an inquiry into Adani after U.S.-based short-seller Hindenburg Research raised concerns around its governance practices in a January report. In its application, the regulator said it needed more time "to conduct a proper investigation and arrive at verified findings". The regulator said that it had received information from several Adani group entities.

☆ Indian shares set to open higher as strong earnings lift mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BENGALURU, April 24 (Reuters) - Indian shares were set to open higher on Monday as improved quarterly results from heavyweights Reliance Industries Ltd (RELI.NS) and ICICI Bank Ltd(ICBK.NS) eased some concerns over a lacklustre start to the earnings season. India's most valuable company, Reliance Industries reported 19% growth in fourth-quarter profit, aided by the strong performance in oil-to-chemicals (O2C) segment, post market hours on Friday. Private lender ICICI Bank posted a 30% jump in net profit in the March quarter, helped by improved net interest income and loan growth. The strong earnings of the two companies, which account for nearly 20% of the total weightage in Nifty 50, could improve the sentiment soured by the weak earnings and outlook of top information technology companies, analysts added. Stocks to Watch:** Yes Bank Ltd (YESB.NS): Lender's net profit slumps 45% in the March quarter on higher provisions.

☆ Indian regulator plans to allow mutual funds with performance-based fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

According to the plan, the base fees currently charged for mutual funds would be reduced and additional charges would be based on performance. If introduced, India would be one of a handful of major markets to introduce performance-linked fees for mutual funds. "An option for additional charges could act as an incentive for funds to give better returns," the source said. There is a need for transparency on charges levied by mutual funds, SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on March 28. To curb this, SEBI will only allow funds to charge additional fees if an investor is buying any mutual fund for the first time, the document showed.

☆ India NSE's IPO plan stumbles at market watchdog's door - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has formed an internal view that due to the pending cases it won't approve NSE's application made last year for an IPO, the sources said. “Till the legal and regulatory issues are cleared there is no chance that SEBI will approve NSE's IPO plans,” said one of the sources, who is a senior regulatory official. A delayed NSE IPO will test the patience of its core shareholders - banks, insurance companies and foreign funds - who have been waiting for an exit opportunity in rising markets. The regulator's reluctance to approve NSE's IPO has not been previously reported. These include whether certain brokers made unfair gains due to preferential access to NSE’s trading systems and another lapse in NSE’s trading architecture, the source said.

☆ Exclusive: India regulator probing some Adani offshore deals for possible rule violations-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An Adani Group spokesperson said Vinod Adani is a member of the Adani family and is part of the promoter group, but he does not hold any managerial position in any of the listed Adani entities or their subsidiaries. Vinod Adani could not be reached for comment. Hindenburg's report eroded more than $100 billion in the value of shares in Adani group of companies. India's Supreme Court asked SEBI in March to investigate the Adani Group for any lapses related to public shareholding, related party rules or regulatory disclosures. SEBI's investigation into Adani's possible 'related party' transactions with offshore entities with links to Vinod Adani has not been reported before.

☆ India markets regulator asks top 100 companies to confirm or deny market rumours from Oct.1
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MUMBAI, March 29 (Reuters) - India's markets regulator on Wednesday asked that the top 100 companies listed on its stock exchanges confirm or deny market rumors that impact share prices, in a bid to bring more transparency and ensure timely disclosure of "material events". The requirement will kick in from Oct.1, 2023 for top 100 companies by market capitalization, and from April 1, 2024 for the top 250, SEBI said in a press release following a board meeting. The regulator said that it intends to put in place quantitative benchmarks to determine whether an event is material but did not immediately say what those metrics would be. The SEBI also said that material events or disclosures emerging from a board of directors meeting must be disclosed to exchanges within 30 minutes. Reporting by Jayshree P. Upadhyay; Editing by Nivedita BhattacharjeeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indian skincare firm Mamaearth's parent puts IPO on hold - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( M. Sriram | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, March 27 (Reuters) - Indian skincare startup Mamaearth has put its initial public offering (IPO) on hold because of weak market conditions, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said, a month after two other Indian companies also scrapped their share sales. Mamaearth planned to start marketing the IPO and begin initial talks with investors by the end of January, but that has not happened yet, the sources said. The company has until December to receive approval for the IPO from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and file its final prospectus. He added that its largest investor, Sequoia, would not be selling any shares in the IPO and the founders would own more than 97% of their shares after the IPO. Last month, Indian apparel retailer Fabindia, backed by billionaire Azim Premji's fund, and jewellery retailer Joyallukkas scrapped their IPOs due to poor market conditions.

☆ Indian market watchdog speeds up action against social media stock tips - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jayshree P Upadhyay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Securities and Exchange Board of India's rules say that only advisers registered with it can offer investment advice. Companies potentially facing enforcement action are digital investment platforms which offer financial products and investment advice without appropriate regulatory licences, the sources said. "This is a part of series of enforcement actions that the regulator is taking to tackle unsolicited investment advice being peddled on social media," said the second source cited above. The regulator will consult the market participants on ways to regulate social media financial influencers more broadly. These influencers could be required to make disclosures and disclaimers on their social media platforms before they offer any public advice.

☆ Adani Group suspends work on $4.2 bln project in India's Gujarat - PTI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 19 (Reuters) - Adani Group has suspended work on a 349 billion rupee ($4.2 billion) petrochemical project at Mundra in India's western Gujarat state as it focuses on consolidating operations and addressing investor concerns after the Hindenburg shortseller report, according to the Press Trust of India. Adani Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for a comment. On Jan. 24, Hindenburg Research alleged stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens, and flagged concerns over debt levels at the company, which Adani has denied. India's top court has since asked market regulator SEBI to investigate Adani Group for any lapses related to public shareholding norms or regulatory disclosures. read more($1 = 82.5200 Indian rupees)Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's financial crime agency searches Franklin Templeton execs, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

India's federal financial crime agency on Thursday conducted searches on Franklin Templeton India's former and current officers in Mumbai in relation to the closure of some funds in 2020, two sources told Reuters on Thursday. The searches are in connection with Franklin Templeton closing six debt schemes in April 2020, which it had blamed on the lack of liquidity due to Covid-19's impact on the markets. Vivek and Rupa Kudva were held guilty of withdrawing their own investments ahead of the winding of the schemes. A spokesperson for Franklin Templeton did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comments. Vivek and Rupa Kudva could not be immediately reached for comment.

SYDNEY/BENGALURU, March 3 (Reuters) - Adani shares surged on Friday after a $1.87 billion investment in the group by GQG Partners Inc eased concerns about the group's ability to attract funding, while the conglomerate lined up more road shows to shore up investor confidence. Adani Group will hold road shows this month in London, Dubai and several cities in the United States, according to a document seen by Reuters. Overall, Adani group firms' net debt totalled $24.1 billion as of September 2022. Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission jumped 5% each. Dollar bonds issued by Adani entities also rallied, with Adani Green Energy's 2024 bond adding 2.3 cents on the dollar to trade at 85.5 cents, while most bonds issued by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Adani Transmission and Adani Electricity Mumbai rose by more than 1 cent.

☆ India's Supreme Court sets up panel to investigate Adani allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIndia's supreme court has set up an independent panel to investigate if there were regulatory failures related to allegations against the Adani Group , after a bombshell report from a U.S. short seller. The country's highest court directed a six member panel to probe "regulatory failure in dealing with the alleged contravention of laws pertaining to the securities market in relation to the Adani Group," a Thursday court order said. India's Supreme Court action comes slightly over a month after Hindenburg Research released a lengthy report on Jan. 24, accusing Adani Group of stock manipulation and fraud. The panel will be headed by Justice Sapre, a retired judge of the Supreme Court. Both institutions told CNBC recently that their exposure to the Adani Group was manageable.

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