DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ 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

☆ About 80% of Indians choose to deposit withdrawn 2000-rupee notes, boost bank deposits - bankers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, June 7 (Reuters) - About three-fourths of Indians are choosing to deposit the recently withdrawn 2000-rupee notes into bank accounts so far rather than exchanging them for smaller denominations, with the trend likely to boost bank deposits, bankers said. In May, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it would withdraw these high-value notes from circulation and permitted their exchange or deposit until Sept. 30. When announced, the value of these notes in circulation was 3.6 trillion rupees ($43.61 billion), the RBI said. Though the total quantum of notes deposited or exchanged so far is not available, six public and private sector bankers Reuters spoke to said over 80% of the notes received by them have been deposited into accounts. The initial assumption is the overall bank deposit base would increase by at least 1.5 trillion rupees, with SBI contributing 22%-25%, the SBI official said.

Persons: Virat Diwanji, Gaura Sen Gupta, Dipanwita Mazumdar, Siddhi Nayak, Swati Bhat, Sonia Cheema Organizations: Reserve Bank of India, Reuters, State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, SBI, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, BOB.NS, India

☆ Indian ports will test tycoons' safe harbour
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Pranav Kiran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

For the public market wannabe, it tees up a tricky benchmark in a global industry with few listed giants. JSW Infrastructure is closely aligned to India’s growth story. More than half of cargo handled at Indian ports last year was coal, petroleum oil and lubricants. JSW Infrastructure grew revenue 92% in the three years to March 2022, three times as fast as its rival. JSW Infrastructure, India’s second largest commercial ports operator by cargo handling capacity, in May filed for an initial public offering in Mumbai to raise up to 28 billion rupees ($340 million).

Persons: Gautam Adani, Sajjan Jindal, Adani, JSW, ”, Una Galani, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Hindenburg Research, Deloitte, JSW, Infrastructure, Deloitte Haskins, Securities and Exchange Board of India, JM Financial, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, HSBC, Credit Suisse, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Mumbai, Goa, Tamil Nadu, West, JSW

☆ Bangladesh struggles to pay for fuel imports as dollar crisis worsens -letters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Ruma Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DHAKA, May 22 (Reuters) - Bangladesh is struggling to pay for imported fuel because of a dollar shortage, letters reviewed by Reuters show, with the state petroleum company owing more than $300 million as it faces an "alarming decrease in fuel reserves". Heavily reliant on energy imports, Bangladesh is grappling with power cuts resulting from a fuel shortage that have badly hurt its exports-oriented garments industry. BPC imports 500,000 tonnes of refined oil and 100,000 tonnes of crude oil every month. The April letter said several fuel suppliers had either sent fewer cargoes than scheduled or threatened to halt supplies. Others in South Asia, such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan, have also sought or received IMF funds this year.

☆ We expect 14% credit growth in the coming year, says State Bank of India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWe expect 14% credit growth in the coming year, says State Bank of IndiaDinesh Khara of the bank says it's hopeful because of infrastructure lending initiatives, among other things.

☆ India's banking system is resilient to U.S. banking stress, says State Bank of India's chairman
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIndia's banking system is resilient to U.S. banking stress, says State Bank of India's chairmanDinesh Kumar Khara, chairman of State Bank of India, discusses the characteristics that make India's banking system "structurally different" from some U.S. banks.

☆ HDFC Bank vs. SBI? This strategist names his favorite stock pick among Indian banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Despite the benefits of heavy deposit flows and strong deposit growth in a slow growth environment, State Bank of India (SBI) has seen its stock price fall year-to-date due to its controversial exposure to Adani. The consensus price target of all analysts compiled by FactSet also points toward 717 rupees a share, which represents a 36% upside. SBIN-IN HDFCBANK-IN 1Y line SBI shares are also traded over the counter in the U.S. and the London and Frankfurt stock exchanges. HDFC over SBI If taking a more constructive long-term view on Indian banks as a whole, Chadha prefers HDFC Bank over SBI because it is merging with HDFC — which he describes as having "huge implications" — creating an almost $300 billion financial behemoth. HDFC Bank shares are up 4% this year and analysts' price target points to a further 13% upside over the next 12 months.

☆ HDFC and HDFC Bank merger will have 'huge implications,' says wealth management firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHDFC and HDFC Bank merger will have 'huge implications,' says wealth management firmGurmeet Chadha of Complete Circle discusses whether he prefers HDFC Bank or State Bank of India.

☆ 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.

☆ Adani trumpets stable ties to global banks in bid to ease investor worries, document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Aditya Kalra | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The document, which was reviewed by Reuters, did not elaborate on how the lenders reaffirmed their commitment to the Adani group. Adani group did not respond to a request for comment. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (MUFG) (8306.T), Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc's (8316.T) SMBC unit, Mizuho Financial Group (8411.T), Standard Chartered (STAN.L) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) did not immediately respond. CONCERNS ABOUT DEBTThe Hindenburg report had sparked concern among investors about banks' exposures to the Adani group. Now, 39% of Adani's debt is currently in the form of bonds, 29% is from global banks and 32% comes from public or private banks in India, the Adani document added.

☆ Explainer: How resilient are Indian lenders amid a global banking turmoil?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

He does not foresee a direct impact of the global banking turmoil on Indian banks. HOW WELL CAPITALISED ARE INDIAN BANKS? Reuters GraphicsHOW ARE INDIAN BANKS' BOND PORTFOLIOS PERFORMING? Indian banks are not facing the same level of pressure on their bond portfolios as U.S banks because Indian interest rates have risen less. If Indian banks mark their held-to-maturity (HTM) investments to market, it would bring down their CET-1 capital by 12-25%, estimates Moody's Investors Service.

One of the government officials directly involved in the matter said New Delhi is "not comfortable" with foreign trade settled in yuan but said settlement in "dirham is okay." The second official said that India cannot allow settlement in yuan till the relations between the two countries improve. The five officials did not say whether there were also economic reasons behind India's reluctance to accept yuan settlement. Two banking officials, aware of the matter, said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is not keen on foreign trade settlement in yuan, and confirmed that the government has discouraged them from using the currency. They also said Russia was keen on yuan settlement as it helps them in purchases of goods from China.

India's oil trade, in response to the turmoil of sanctions and the Ukraine war, provides the strongest evidence so far of a shift into other currencies that could prove lasting. MTS had facilitated some Indian oil non-dollar payments, the trade sources said. An Indian refining source said most Russian banks have faced sanctions since the war but Indian customers and Russian suppliers are determined to keep trading Russian oil. "As it is, the government is not asking us to stop buying Russian oil, so we are hopeful that an alternative payment mechanism will be found in case the current system is blocked." Similarly, many banks from Russia have opened accounts with Indian banks to facilitate trade.

☆ 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.

☆ India court asks regulator to check on Adani's related party transactions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Supreme Court of India also ordered the formation of an investor-protection panel amid sharp falls in the Adani group's shares. The Supreme Court asked SEBI to check "whether there has been a failure to disclose transactions with related parties" and "whether there was any manipulation of stock prices in contravention of existing laws". Seven listed companies of the Adani group have lost about $135 billion in value since the report was published. In its rebuttal, Adani said "all related party transactions are at arm's length, properly disclosed and reviewed/audited by statutory independent auditors". The court also formed a panel to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine how investor protection mechanisms can be strengthened.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee scales near 3-wk high as Chinese yuan boosts Asian FX
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Anushka Trivedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, March 1 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee hit a near three-week high against the dollar on Wednesday after a stronger Chinese yuan sparked a rally in Asian currencies. The rupee rose 0.20% to 82.50 per dollar, having strengthened up to 82.37 at one point, near its 55-day moving average of 82.3514 and at its highest level since Feb. 10. There were a "decent" amount of inflows into the market, and the broader sentiment was better, while a pullback in the dollar index helped the rupee, said a dealer at a private bank. Hence, the local unit is likely to stay in the range of 82.60-83.00 in the near term, Krishnamurthy said, noting that technically, only a break of either side on a daily close basis would trigger a directional move. Asian currencies and equities rose in response, while the dollar index fell 0.5%.

☆ India, Singapore launch real-time link for cross-border payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Siddhi Nayak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Feb 21 (Reuters) - India and Singapore launched on Tuesday a real-time link to facilitate easier cross border money transfers between one of the world's biggest recipients of remittances and an Asian financial powerhouse. Transfers of funds will now be possible using just mobile phones due to the tie-up between India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore's PayNow facility. UPI is an instant real-time payments system, allowing users to transfer money across multiple banks without disclosing bank account details. To begin with, State Bank of India (SBI.NS), Indian Overseas Bank (IOBK.NS), Indian Bank (INBA.NS) and ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) will facilitate both inward and outward remittances while Axis Bank (AXBK.NS) and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement. At the launch event, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that cross-border retail payments and remittances between India and Singapore currently amount to over $1 billion annually.

☆ India setting up $4 bln fund to backstop corporate debt market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jayshree Pyasi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 17 (Reuters) - India is setting up a fund worth 330 billion rupees ($4 billion) to provide liquidity to its corporate debt market during bouts of stress, to help stem panic selling and ease redemption pressures, an SBI Mutual Fund executive told Reuters. During times of stress, the backstop fund could step into the market to buy relatively illiquid investment grade bonds. "This backstop facility fund comes out of Indian market peculiarity that the bonds are investment grade and still illiquid," said Anubhav Shrivastava, partner, Infinity Alternatives, an alternate investment fund (AIF). "The market for secondary corporate bonds is thin which is why we need the buyer and seller of last resort, the backstop fund will do this." The fund is small relative to 39 trillion rupees ($471 billion) Indian corporate bond market, but its size could be increased later, the source said.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ India's largest lender discusses exposure to Adani
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Tanvir Gill | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIndia's largest lender discusses exposure to AdaniDinesh Khara of the State Bank of India speaks to CNBC's Tanvir Gill about the Adani crisis and the bank's exposure to the company.

☆ NYU's 'Dean of Valuation' says Adani Group exploited 'weakest links' in Indian institutions
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Adani Group didn't play a "con game" but has exploited the "weakest links" in India's institutions to its advantage, according to NYU's "Dean of Valuation" Aswath Damodaran. It's not healthy for a market," Damodaran, told CNBC's "Streets Sign Asia" on Thursday. "That's why I said Adani is not about the company … this is about the weakest links in the India story. Art school teacher Sagar Kambli gives final touches to a painting of Indian businessman Gautam Adani (L) highlighting the ongoing crisis of the Adani group in Mumbai on February 3, 2023. The Adani Group firmly denied the accusations, calling it a "calculated attack on India" and its institutions.

☆ Gautam Adani’s woes were in banks' plain sight
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

MUMBAI, Feb 8 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Gautam Adani’s recent woes have vindicated persistent doubts in India about the tycoon’s rise. The Indian group dismisses those claims as a “malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations”. By contrast, other big Indian groups like Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries (DBKGn.DE) and those carrying the Tata name are more popular with institutional investors. Fee-hungry international banks were much less picky. Deutsche, Barclays and StanChart pocketed $57 million of the $260 million of investment banking revenue generated by the Adani group since Dealogic records began.

Search resuls for: "State Bank of India"

25 mentions found