Adani promoter group increases stake in flagship company

The billionaire Gautam Adani-controlled promoter group, Kempas Trade and Investment Ltd, promoter group of Adani Group's flagship company, Adani Enterprises Limited increased its stake in AEL from 67% to 69%. This disclosure was made in an exchange filing on August 21.

Significantly, the collective market capitalization of Adani Group stocks surged beyond ₹11 lakh crore to attain ₹11.29 lakh crore, marking a six-month pinnacle on August 21.

At present, public shareholders hold the remaining 31% ownership in AEL. Notable among these shareholders is GQG Partners, a US-based investor, retaining 2.67%, and LIC, a significant domestic institutional investor in India, preserving a 4.26% stake.

In a surprising turn, despite the corporate governance concerns voiced by Hindenburg Research, GQG Partners maintains its unwavering faith in Adani stocks. In March, GQG injects over ₹15,000 crore, securing stakes in four Adani Group companies, including AEL. This trust continues into June, as GQG acquires approximately ₹8,265 crore worth of additional shares in both Adani Enterprises and Adani Green Energy.

Amidst these developments, investor apprehensions arise as Deloitte departs as the auditor of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ). This transpires even as the Adani Group embarks on a gradual journey of resurgence from the aftermath of Hindenburg's report.

In the report published earlier this year, Hindenburg accused the conglomerate of engaging in "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud." However, the Adani Group vehemently repudiates these allegations, denouncing the report as a "calculated attack on India."

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