MSCI Delays Weighting Adjustments For Two Adani Companies

Index provider MSCI announced on Wednesday that it will delay the introduction of updated weightings for Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission until the May benchmark review.

MSCI stated that the reversal of the modifications to Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission in the February index review would be reflected in the MSCI Index Product files beginning on February 16.

Starting in February, MSCI will also apply a special treatment to all Adani Group-affiliated equities included in its Equity Indexes.

Adani did not react promptly to a comment request given outside of usual Indian business hours.

MSCI announced last week that it would reduce the weightings of four Adani Group firms, including Adani Enterprises, in its indexes after reevaluating the amount of freely traded shares.

The new index weightings were scheduled to take effect on March 1, however, the proposed modifications to Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission have been deferred until May.

MSCI stated that "possible replicability concerns" motivated the decision. Its methodology requires indexes to be replicated "in a cost-effective manner in a real portfolio."

MSCI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters regarding why the changes were reversed quickly after their announcement last week.

Changes to the weightings of Adani Enterprises and ACC, a large Indian cement firm that the Adani Group purchased from Holcim (SIX:HOLN) last year, are still scheduled to occur.

MSCI investigated the level of free floats after concluding that there was "sufficient uncertainty" regarding certain Adani investors.

MSCI's decision followed a report published on January 24 by U.S. short seller Hindenburg Research, which accused the Indian giant of inappropriate use of offshore tax havens and stock manipulation. The organization has denied all wrongdoing.

The Hindenburg report has put Adani, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, into trouble, reducing the value of the group's companies by almost $120 billion.

According to a document seen by Reuters, Adani and two of its principal subsidiaries involved in a short-selling tempest in recent weeks will arrange calls with bond investors on February 16 and February 21.