Hindenburg shorts Adani Group, flags debt and accounting concerns
The HinduHindenburg Research said on Wednesday it held short positions in India's Adani Group, accusing the conglomerate of improper extensive use of entities set up in offshore tax havens and expressing concern about high debt levels. Hindenburg, a well known U.S. short-seller, said key listed companies in the group controlled by billionaire Gautam Adani had "substantial debt" which has put the entire group on a "precarious financial footing". Hindenburg's report said that five of seven key listed Adani companies have reported current ratios — a measure of liquid assets minus near-term liabilities — below 1. Refinitiv data shows that debt at all the Adani Group's seven key listed Adani companies exceeds equity, with debt at Adani Green Energy Ltd exceeding equity by more than 2,000%.