Debt-funded acquisitions can put pressure on Adani group ratings: S&P

Aug 25, 2022

[ad_1]

NEW DELHI: Richest Indian Gautam Adani’s group, which has grown on acquisitions, has pretty stable fundamentals however debt-funded future acquisitions can begin placing stress on rankings, S&P World Scores mentioned on Thursday. Beginning out as a commodities dealer in 1988, the Adani group has diversified from mines, ports and energy crops into airports, knowledge centres and defence.
It just lately forayed into the cement sector with a $10.5 billion acquisition of Holcim’s India items and can also be trying to arrange an aluminium manufacturing unit. Most of this growth has been funded by debt.
S&P World Scores senior director (infrastructure rankings) Abhishek Dangra mentioned the expansion ambitions for a lot of the group entities are pretty excessive and so they have additionally grown by acquisitions throughout a number of entities.
“For those who take a look at the rated entities (of Adani group), like Adani Ports, their enterprise elementary is pretty stable. Port enterprise is producing wholesome money flows. The place, most likely, the danger may lie for the group is, a few of the acquisitions it’s doing. A few of the current acquisitions that we’re seeing are largely debt-funded and that’s taking away the headroom,” Dangra mentioned at a webinar.
He mentioned any future acquisition that the group does on the present tempo can begin placing stress on its rankings.
“Presently we see that the dangers could be managed if the group manages the expansion ambitions or the fundings,” he mentioned, including that the expansion that the Group is doing in different enterprise segments doesn’t essentially have a direct influence on the rankings proper now.
“…The home banking system, in addition to some worldwide capital bond market traders, do take a look at Adani Group entities as a bunch and plenty of of them, as a result of the group has been elevating funds for development, are a sure form of group restrict or limiting their publicity to at least one group which might turn out to be a problem at a time when the group continues to continue to grow capability,” Dangra mentioned.
He mentioned the group is rising in a number of segments, a few of that are unrated, like cement, knowledge warehousing and airports.
“For those who take a look at the group as a complete, promoter management on all entities is important and development ambition is pretty excessive,” Dangra mentioned, replying to a query on S&P’s views on leverage within the Adani group.
On Tuesday, an Adani group firm AMG Media Networks Ltd purchased 100 per cent of the fairness stakes in Vishvapradhan Industrial Pvt Ltd (VCPL) for Rs 114 crore. This acquisition additionally offers Adani group a 29.18 per cent stake in NDTV.
Subsequently, the group additionally made an open provide to purchase one other 26 per cent stake within the information channel firm for Rs 493 crore.
On the identical day, a Fitch Group unit CreditSights had flagged considerations over the group predominantly utilizing debt to speculate aggressively throughout present in addition to new companies, and mentioned that the conglomerate is “deeply overleveraged”.



[ad_2]