New Delhi
CNN
—
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani tried to reassure investors on Thursday after he abruptly abandoned his flagship firm’s $2.5 billion share sale.
“For me, the interest of my investors is paramount and everything is secondary,” the 60-year-old businessman said in a recorded video address. “Once the market stabilizes, we will review our capital market strategy.”
This was the first time the tycoon has spoken about the stock market mayhem that has wiped billions off his logistics and energy business empire.
A week-long meltdown in the value of Adani Group shares started when an American short seller accused the conglomerate of fraud. The group, which has seven listed companies, has lost more than $90 billion in market value in the week since Hindenburg Research published its report.
Foreign banks have started to closely scrutinize the conglomerate. According to Bloomberg, Credit Suisse has stopped accepting bonds of Adani firms as collateral for margin loans to its private banking clients. The Swiss lender declined to comment on a CNN request for confirmation.
Despite the turmoil, the group’s flagship company, Adani Enterprises, managed to issue new shares worth $2.5 billion on Tuesday. The capital raising exercise was touted as India’s biggest ever public offering by a listed company. After a tepid start, the offer was fully subscribed.
A day later, though, Adani abandoned the deal. The shares have been trading considerably below the offer price since last week, meaning that investors in the capital raise were looking at immediate losses.
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