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Nomura sued by Adani-linked fund accused in short-seller Hindenburg report
The Economic Times· 2026-01-20 12:23
Core Viewpoint - The lawsuit against Nomura by Elara Capital's Oyster Bay Fund highlights the ongoing fallout from Hindenburg's report on Adani, which accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and fraud, leading to significant financial losses and regulatory scrutiny [1][3][12]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - Elara Capital's Oyster Bay Fund claims that Nomura demanded $205 million in cash to cover debts and breached a repayment plan by selling Adani shares pledged as collateral, resulting in a loss of $43 million [2][10]. - Nomura has denied any wrongdoing and plans to vigorously defend against the claims made by the Elara fund [10][12]. Group 2: Impact of Hindenburg's Report - Hindenburg's report led to a loss of over $150 billion in market value for Adani Group's publicly traded entities and triggered regulatory investigations, including one involving Elara [3][11]. - The report alleged that two of Elara's funds had invested almost exclusively in Adani shares, raising suspicions of being fronts for Adani himself, with one fund investing about $3 billion, nearly 99% of its market value [11][12]. Group 3: Nomura's Risk Management - Following the Hindenburg report, senior bankers at Nomura expressed concerns about the volatility of the portfolio and sought to reduce loan sizes to mitigate risk [2][7]. - Nomura had facilitated significant exposure for Elara to Adani companies through total return swaps, which allow investors to speculate on stock performance without owning the shares [8][12]. Group 4: Regulatory Scrutiny - The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has requested explanations from Elara regarding potential violations of disclosure norms, although evidence for fraud claims against Adani was deemed insufficient [12][16]. - Elara Capital, regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority, had approximately £98 million ($132 million) in shareholders' funds as of March 2025 [14][16].