Hindenburg: Who is billionaire Carl Icahn, the latest target of Hindenburg research: All your questions answered – Times of India

New Delhi: Corporate Worker Carl Icahn US-based short-seller’s latest target Hindenburg ResearchWith its bombshell revelations, nearly a fifth of the value of his empire was wiped out.
Icahn’s net worth fell by more than $10 billion after tuesday Hindenburg accused them of using a “Ponzi-like” economic structure. In his investment company.
The Hindenburg Research report on companies including the Adani group has wiped off a major chunk of their stock value.
But what exactly does short-selling mean and why is the Hinnenberg Report having such a huge impact on companies? Here are the answers to all your questions…
For starters, what is short-selling and why does Hinnenberg engage in it?
Short selling is an investment strategy that involves borrowing and selling a security that the seller expects to drop in price, and later buying it back at a lower price to make a profit. Hindenburg Research is a US investment research firm that specializes in activist short-selling, meaning that it publishes investigative reports on companies it believes are overvalued, fraudulent or misleading investors . Hindenburg Research makes money by taking short positions in a target company before its reports are released, and then profiting from share price declines after the reports are made public.
Some examples of companies that Hindenburg Research targets with its short-selling report:
Icahn Enterprises, a conglomerate controlled by billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn. Hindenburg alleged that the company’s valuation was overstated by 75% and that it had a “Ponzi-like economic structure” that relied on new investors to pay dividends to old investors.
Adani Group, Indian conglomerate with interests in energy, infrastructure, mining and ports. Hindenburg claimed that the group was perpetrating “the biggest scam in corporate history” by inflating its share prices through a complex web of offshore entities, insider trading and money laundering.
Block Inc., formerly known as Square Inc., is a digital payments company led by Twitter co-founder jack dorsey, Hindenburg accused the company of inflating its user metrics and facilitating fraud on its platform, which helped insiders cash out more than $1 billion.
Electric truck maker Nikola Corporation, which was once worth more than $30 billion. Hindenburg exposed the company’s false claims about its technology, partnerships and achievements, calling it “a complex hoax built on dozens of falsehoods”.
What are the legal and ethical implications of short-selling?
Short-selling has both legal and ethical implications that are often debated and controversial. On the one hand, short-selling can be viewed as a legitimate and profitable market activity that provides price discovery, liquidity, risk management and market efficiency.
Short sellers can also uncover financial fraud, overvaluation and corporate wrongdoing by rigorously researching and analyzing their target companies. On the other hand, short-selling can also be seen as a predatory and harmful practice that takes advantage of market imperfections, manipulates prices, spreads false or misleading information, and profits from the misfortune of others. Short sellers may face legal risks if they violate securities laws or regulations, such as naked short-selling (selling shares without borrowing or delivering them), insider trading, market abuse, or defamation. Short sellers may also face ethical dilemmas if they harm the interests of other stakeholders, such as shareholders, employees, customers, creditors, or society at large.
Some ways to regulate or limit short-selling are:
short sale rule: This rule, also known as the uptick rule, requires that short sales can only be executed at a price above the most recent trade, i.e. at a rise in the share price. The purpose of the rule was to prevent short sellers from adding to the downward momentum of a declining stock. The rule was phased out by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in 2007, but was reinstated in 2010 as an optional uptick rule that only applied if the stock fell more than 10% in one day. Are.
credit requirement: This requirement mandates that short sellers must borrow or arrange to borrow the securities they intend to sell short before executing a trade. It prevents naked short-selling, which involves selling shares without borrowing or delivering them. Naked short-selling can create phantom supply and keep prices artificially low. Nude short-selling is generally illegal or restricted in most jurisdictions.
disclosure requirement: This requirement obliges short sellers to disclose their short positions or transactions to regulators, the market, or both. It enhances market transparency and accountability and allows regulators to monitor and prevent abusive or manipulative short-selling practices. Different jurisdictions have different disclosure rules and limits for short-selling.
restriction or restrictionIt is the most extreme measure to regulate or limit short-selling, which involves banning or suspending short-selling activities in certain securities, sectors or markets for a specified period of time. This is usually done during times of market turmoil or crisis to prevent excessive volatility, panic selling, or systemic risk. However, such restrictions or bans can have unintended consequences, such as reducing liquidity, reducing price discovery, and increasing trading costs.
How does Hindenburg Research make a profit?
Hindenburg Research makes a profit by betting against the companies it investigates and exposes as overpriced, fraudulent or misleading. According to its website, Hindenburg Research is a financial research firm that examines equity, credit and derivatives for potential accounting irregularities, mismanagement and undisclosed transactions. The company invests its capital and takes a short position in the target company before publishing its report on its findings. If the report causes a decline in the target company’s stock price, Hindenburg Research makes a profit on the difference between the price at which it short sold and the price at which it bought back the shares. Hindenburg Research has targeted several companies with its short-selling reports, such as Nikola Corporation, Clover Health, Block Inc, Adani Group and others.
How did Carl Icahn make his fortune?
Carl Icahn made his fortune through his investment strategies, including the “Icahn Lift” phenomenon, a strategy for investing in struggling companies and turning them around.
What is the “ICAN Lift” event?
The “Icahn lift” phenomenon is a strategy for investing in and turning around struggling companies, resulting in an increase in the company’s stock price after Carl Icahn buys shares. He has a track record of identifying undervalued companies and taking large stakes in them, often resulting in large profits in the process. Icahn buys a large number of shares of a corporation and then requests a new board of directors or the sale of its assets in order to deliver more value to shareholders.
What is Carl Icahn’s net worth?
According to the latest estimates, as of May 2023, Carl Icahn has a net worth of $14.6 billion. His net worth fell more than $10 billion in a day after short-seller Hindenburg Research accused him of using a “Ponzi-like” economic structure at his investment company. According to the Wealth Index, Icahn’s fortune fell an unprecedented 41% to $14.6 billion, dropping him from the 58th richest person in the world to the 119th.
How many companies has the Hindenburg targeted since its inception?
According to its website, Hindenburg Research has released reports on more than 15 companies since its inception in 2017. Some sources say the number is around 17. Some of the companies that Hindenburg Research has targeted are Nikola Corporation, Clover Health, Block Inc. Adani Group, Kandi, Lordstown Motors, Technoglass, SC Works, HF Foods, riot blockchainand others.