Nate Anderson, a chartered financial analyst, and chartered alternative investment analyst, started Hindenburg Research in 2017. It advertises itself as a forensic financial research organization that analyses equity, credit, and derivatives. It has a track record of finding corporate wrongdoings and placing bets against the companies as an "activist short seller.”
The report accuses the group of improper use of offshore tax havens and flagging concerns about high debt. Hindenburg Research holds short positions in Adani group companies and claims that the group has engaged in a "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades."
Hindenburg Research, a short-seller located in the United States, produced a detailed research report casting serious doubt on the Adani Group's activities and claiming shrilly that Adani was the "biggest con" in corporate history. They also claimed that they had put a "large bet" against Adani Group shares and stood to profit if the shares fell in value. And the suggested implication that if they were proven wrong and the shares did not fall, they would lose all of their money.
According to the report, the seven listed companies of the Adani group have an 85% downside due to their sky-high valuations. It also pointed out the debt on the company and the lack of near-term liquidity for 5 of the 7 key listed companies. The report claims that 8 of 22 key roles are held by family members of Gautam Adani, the founder and chairman of the Adani Group.
Hindenburg Research ended the report by asking several questions about the promotions of family members despite their history of allegations and asked for the full extent of Vinod Adani's role in the Adani Group. The report also mentions the Adani Group's previous involvement in 4 major government fraud investigations that have alleged money laundering, theft of taxpayer funds, and corruption, totaling an estimated US $17 billion.
Adani Group's Response to Hindenburg Research Report
In response, the Adani Group called the report baseless and labeled Hindenburg Research as the "Madoffs of Manhattan." The group claims that all transactions with related parties have been disclosed and that the report is full of "unsubstantiated speculations."
Hindenburg Research has countered by pointing to the number of changes in Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in the listed Adani companies and the relative unknown quality of the auditors used by the group. Adani Group responded by saying that several of the CFOs have remained within the group and moved on to new roles, and that the auditors are appointed on the recommendation of the audit committee composed entirely of independent directors.
Impact on Adani Group and Stock Market
The release of the report led to a 5-20% decrease in Adani Group stocks and wiped out ₹3.19 trillion in investor wealth. Gautam Adani also saw a decline in his fortune, causing his ranking on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index to slip out of the top ten richest in the world.
The ongoing controversy is likely to raise questions about the future of the Adani Group and its impact on the stock market. Investors may be wary of investing in the Adani Group following the accusations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The controversy could also have a broader impact on the Indian stock market, affecting investor sentiment towards Indian companies.
So, what does this mean?
Hindenburg Research's accusations against the Adani Group have led to a heated exchange between the short-seller and the conglomerate. The report has had significant consequences for the Adani Group, causing a decrease in stocks and investor wealth. The ongoing controversy may impact the future of the Adani Group and its impact on the Indian stock market. Investors should keep a close eye on the developments surrounding the Adani Group and assess the risks involved in investing in the conglomerate.