INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Investors had sent the group's stocks soaring more than 500 per cent since the start of 2020Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's dream run up
the global wealth rankings is faltering after a media report raising questions about some offshore investors triggered a rout in his
conglomerate's six listed stocks
The 58-year-old tycoon has lost more money this week than anyone else in the world, with his personal fortune tumbling by about $13.2
billion to $63.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index
Just days ago, he was closing the gap with Mukesh Ambani as Asia's richest man.The U-turn in shares started Monday after the Economic Times
reported that India's national share depository froze the accounts of three Mauritius-based funds because of insufficient information on the
The bulk of the holdings of Albula Investment Fund, Cresta Fund and APMS Investment Fund -- about $6 billion -- are shares of Adani's
firms.Although the Adani group called the report "blatantly erroneous" and said it was "done to deliberately mislead the investing
community," investors concerned over transparency rushed for the exit.The Mauritius offshore funds hold more than 90 per cent of their
assets under management in Adani group companies, according to Bloomberg Intelligence."There should be greater clarity to ensure who the
final owners of the shares are," said Hemindra Hazari, an independent research analyst in Mumbai.A spokesperson for the Adani Group declined
to comment beyond the exchange filings sent this week
These overseas funds "have been investors in Adani Enterprises for more than a decade," Adani Group said in a June 14 statement
"We urge all our stakeholders not to be perturbed by market speculations."In identical exchange filings the same day, Adani group companies
said that they had written confirmation from the Registrar and Transfer Agent that the offshore funds' demat accounts in which Adani shares
were held "are not frozen."Albula and APMS, in separate statements dated June 14 emailed via their management company IQ EQ Fund Services
(Mauritius) on Thursday, said the funds are fully operational
"Fact is that the relevant NSDL entry for APMS Investment Fund Ltd
shows a technical 'account level freeze' only that has absolutely NO relevance to its normal FPI trading activities," APMS said
The funds didn't answer questions about why they hold such concentrated positions in Adani stock, nor did they share names of their
investors.Shares of Adani Green Energy, the mogul's most valuable asset, slipped 7.7 per cent this week
Adani Ports - Special Economic Zone plunged 23 per cent in four days, Adani Power, Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission tumbled at least
18 per cent, while flagship Adani Enterprises fell almost 15 per cent
Three of these firms have slipped by their daily limit for four straight sessions.Excitement around the Adani empire spanning ports, mines
and power plants had been building up over the past couple of years as the coal magnate looks beyond the dirtiest fossil fuel for expansion,
seeking to dovetail his business interests with infrastructure priorities set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Big PushInvestors had sent
some of the group's stocks soaring more than 500 per cent since the start of 2020, betting the first-generation entrepreneur's big push into
sectors such as renewable energy, airports, data centers and defense contracting will pay off
Earlier this month, Adani's wealth was close to $80 billion.Adding to the tailwind was MSCI Inc.'s decision to include more Adani stocks to
its India benchmark index despite scant analyst coverage
Three of Adani's listed companies were included in May, taking the group's total to five
The inclusion also led to more mandated buying by investors that track the indexes.The quick surge combined with equity largely held by
overseas funds with very little public float is a risk for Adani shares, BI analysts wrote last week
This week's events have also brought the opacity around the group and its key non-founder shareholders into focus."I expect the speculative
cycle in Adani Group company shares has probably reached its term," Travis Lundy, an analyst at Smartkarma wrote in a note.(Except for the
headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
