Why Did Ola Electric Shares Drop 3% As Bhavish Aggarwal Divests Rs 142 Crore Stake?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Ola Electric shares declined by 3% following a stake sale by Bhavish Aggarwal.
- The sale was aimed at repaying a promoter-level loan of Rs 260 crore.
- All promoter-level share pledges have been released, making the founder-debt free.
- Despite the decline, Ola Electric assures no impact on business operations.
- The stock is trading near its 52-week low.
Mumbai, Dec 18 (NationPress) The shares of Ola Electric Mobility Limited experienced a further decline on Thursday as founder and promoter Bhavish Aggarwal offloaded a significant portion of his personal shareholding via open market transactions.
The stock saw a drop of nearly 3 percent, trading at approximately Rs 32.22 each during early trading hours, and reaching an intra-day low of Rs 31.56, positioning it near its 52-week low. This decrease occurred despite a generally stable broader market, with the NSE Nifty index rising around 0.29 percent.
According to bulk deal data from the National Stock Exchange, Aggarwal divested around 4.19 crore equity shares at an average price of Rs 33.96 per share on Wednesday.
The total transaction value was close to Rs 142 crore, though the identities of the buyers remain undisclosed based on the exchange data.
Ola Electric clarified that this share sale was part of a one-time, limited monetization of a small fraction of the founder's personal stake, primarily aimed at fully repaying a promoter-level loan of Rs 260 crore.
The company stated that the release of the pledge included a combination of share monetization and other personal income sources of the founder. Consequently, all promoter-level share pledges, totaling about 3.93 percent, have now been entirely released, rendering the founder-promoter debt-free.
This news comes shortly after Ola Electric shares faced pressure from an earlier bulk deal executed by Aggarwal, as reported by IANS. The stock has been under consistent selling pressure over the past weeks, correcting sharply in the last three months, keeping it near its annual low.
Despite these recent transactions, the company has assured that there is no dilution of promoter control, nor does it affect its business operations or long-term strategy. Ola Electric has reiterated that this transaction was entirely at the promoter's personal level and does not impact the company’s financial stability.
At approximately 9:46 a.m. on Thursday, the stock was trading around Rs 31.88, still significantly down for the day, as investors exercised caution amid ongoing selling trends.