GQG raises stake in Adani Ports to over 5%

New Delhi: US-based boutique investment firm GQG Partners has raised its stake in Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone to over 5 per cent as it continues to bet on billionaire Gautam Adani’s group shrugging off market concerns. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based GQG increased its stake in APSEZ from 4.93 per cent to 5.03 per cent by way of bulk deal, stock exchange filings showed.

GQG now has a stake in five of the 10 Adani Group firms. It on August 16 bought 7.73 per cent stake in Adani Power Ltd. Promoter group firms Worldwide Emerging Market Holding and Afro ASIA Trade And Investments sold 8.09 per cent stake in Adani Power through block deals on August 16. Of this, GQG bought 7.73 per cent, filings showed. After the stake sale, promoter holding in Adani Power declined to 66.88 per cent from 74.97 per cent. The investment comes days after Deloitte quit as auditor of APSEZ, renewing investor concerns even as the group slowly recovers from the effects of a report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research.

The Hindenburg report released January 24 alleged accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens, triggering a stock market rout that had erased about $150 billion in the market value at its lowest point.

Adani Group has denied all allegations by Hindenburg and is plotting a comeback strategy that includes recasting its ambitions, scrapping acquisitions, pre-paying debt to address concerns about its cash flows and borrowings, and scaling back its pace of spending on new projects. GQG has however shrugged off the allegations and has since May invested in Adani firms. GQG had previously picked up a 5.4 per cent stake in Adani Enterprises, a 6.54 per cent stake in Adani Green Energy Ltd and a 2.5 per cent stake in Adani Transmission Ltd.