On Monday, companies within the Adani Group experienced a decline of approximately $19 billion in market capitalization; however, they managed to recover a significant portion of these losses following allegations from Hindenburg Research.
The firm accused the head of India's market regulator, who
is investigating the group, of having connections to offshore funds that are
also associated with Adani.
During morning trading, Adani Enterprises saw a decrease of
2%, while other entities such as Adani Ports, Adani Total Gas, Adani Green,
Adani Power, Adani Wilmar, and Adani Energy Solutions experienced declines
ranging from 2% to 4.5%.
Adani Enterprises and Adani Ports were among the largest
decliners on the Nifty 50 index, which ultimately rebounded from initial losses
to close up by 0.4%.
The total losses during the morning session were reduced to
$9 billion after the initial drop. Sunny Agrawal, head of fundamental equity
research at SBICAPS Securities, commented, "The allegations are
resurfacing for the second time. Numerous investigations have taken place over
the past year and a half. This reaction is likely temporary and we expect a
return to normalcy."
Hindenburg referenced whistleblower documents, stating that
Madhabi Puri Buch, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
and her husband held interests in an offshore fund that received significant
investments from associates of Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, the
group's billionaire founder.
Buch dismissed the allegations as unfounded, while Adani
refuted the claims on Sunday, asserting that its overseas holding structure is
entirely transparent.
SEBI urged investors on Sunday to remain composed and to
exercise caution before responding to such reports.
In January 2023, Hindenburg had previously alleged the
misuse of tax havens and stock manipulation by the Adani Group, resulting in a
$150 billion decline in stock value.
The Adani Group has denied all such allegations, and shares
have seen a partial recovery. The 2023 report also prompted an ongoing inquiry
led by Buch. Hindenburg stated on Saturday, "We do not believe SEBI can be
regarded as an impartial arbiter in the Adani situation."
Hindenburg Research's allegations against the Adani Group
have been thoroughly examined, as stated by SEBI on Sunday.
Analysts have noted that the recent accusations against Buch
have caused anxiety among retail investors. Kranthi Bathini, Director of Equity
Strategy at WealthMills Securities, remarked, "We are likely to observe a
short to medium-term impact on the sentiment surrounding Adani stocks,
particularly as retail investors feel the pressure from the allegations
directed at SEBI."
Furthermore, the allegations have attracted political
attention, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi commenting on X, "The
integrity of SEBI, the regulatory body responsible for protecting the assets of
small retail investors, has been severely undermined by the allegations against
its chairperson."
On Monday, Ajay Seth, India's Secretary for Economic
Affairs, stated, "The regulator and the individual involved have issued a
statement. The government has no additional comments to provide."