France's TotalEnergies on Friday said its exposure to India's Adani Group is limited to $3.1 billion, representing about 2.4 per cent of the company's capital employed.
“TotalEnergies has not performed any re-evaluation in its accounts of its stakes in the listed entities ATGL [Adani Total Gas] and AGEL [Adani Green Energy] in relation to the increase in their stock values,” the company said in a statement.
TotalEnergies' investments in Adani Group companies were undertaken in “full compliance” with Indian laws and the company's own internal governance policy, it said.
“The due diligence, which were carried out to TotalEnergies’ satisfaction, were consistent with best practices, and all relevant material in the public domain was reviewed, including the detailed disclosures to regulators required under applicable laws.”
TotalEnergies also said it “welcomed” an announcement by Adani to hire one of the 'big four' accounting firms to carry out a general audit.
Adani Group, a port-to-energy business, has suffered massive losses after last week’s report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research that accused the conglomerate of alleged financial fraud.
Hindenburg, which specialises in activist short-selling, made wide-ranging allegations of purported corporate malpractice, “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud after a two-year investigation into billionaire Gautam Adani's business empire.
The report triggered a sell-off across listed Adani companies, wiping out more than $118 billion of their market value.
TotalEnergies holds a 50 per cent stake in Adani Total Private and a 37.4 per cent stake in Adani Total Gas, which develops distribution networks to supply piped natural gas.
The European energy major also picked up a 20 per cent stake in Adani Green Energy in 2021. Before that, TotalEnergies formed a 50-50 joint venture with the renewable energy company in 2020 to operate solar projects.
Shares in Adani companies plummeted on Thursday after the Indian conglomerate called off a 200 billion rupee ($2.43 billion) share sale, citing “volatile market conditions.”
You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
