More trouble for Gautam Adani as SEBI's notice to Adani Energy Solutions points to Hindenburg allegations; shares bleed

In more trouble for embattled businessman Gautam Adani, Adani Energy Solutions received a show-cause notice from capital market regulator Securities and Exchange board of India (SEBI) this week. The market watchdog has alleged wrongful categorisation of certain investors as public shareholders under its minimum shareholding norms.

SEBI's show-cause notice to Adani Energy Solutions is aligned with some of the barrage of serious allegations leveled by US-based research firm Hindenburg against the conglomerate, which has repeatedly denied the charges. 

Adani Energy Solutions, a power transmission company, has confirmed the receipt of the show-cause notice. The company is part of a conglomerate often considered excessively diversified by many analysts Additionally, SEBI's notice comes at a time when SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch herself has denied a series of serious charges against her by Hindenburg this year. 

Adani Energy Solutions has also confirmed that SEBI's notice is related to the regulator's minimum public shareholding norms. 

Investors bear the brunt of bad news, yet again...

Adani Energy Solutions (ADANIENSOL) shares continued to fall for the fifth day in a row on Friday in more trouble for investors after the October 22 disclosure mentioning SEBI's show-case notice. 

On Friday, Adani Energy Solutions shares ended 5.7 per cent lower at Rs 920.2 apiece on BSE, logging a weekly fall of 11.9 per cent. 

The sustained fall in the Adani group stock, which rendered investors poorer by Rs 14,974 crore in just 5 days, comes despite Adani Energy Solutions reporting a 172 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 773 crore for the July-September period. 

The market capitalisation (mcap)—or market value—of Adani Energy Solutions declined by Rs 14,974 crore to Rs 1,10,536 crore, as of October 25, according to provisional exchange data.