Abu Dhabi, Feb 17: NMC Health Plc, a hospital operator targeted by short-seller Muddy Waters, said founder Bavaguthu Raghuram Shetty resigned amid investor concern he faced a margin call and misrepresented his stake.
The board asked for Co-Chairman Shetty’s resignation and it takes effect immediately, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. NMC has lost four board members since Friday, including Vice Chairman Khaleefa Butti, whose holdings are also being probed. The stock, the worst performer on the FTSE-100 Index this year, fell as much as 9.2 percent Monday morning and then rebounded.
“The resignation of senior board members should be viewed positively,” said Abdulla Nahlawi, an analyst at Rasmala Investment Bank in Dubai. “The credibility of the current board has been jeopardized with the unfolding of the recent events.”
NMC shares lost almost half their value the first week of February on speculation the company’s main investors faced a margin call, in which banks seize shares pledged as collateral. NMC said Friday that First Abu Dhabi Bank and Al Salam Bank Bahrain obtained 20 million shares in the company from BRS International Holding, an investment vehicle of NMC’s top shareholders. The banks sold more than 8 million of those shares as “enforcement of security,” NMC said.
NMC operates the largest medical network in the United Arab Emirates and in 2012 became the first Abu Dhabi company to list in London. The shares started teetering in mid-December when Muddy Waters alleged that NMC manipulated its balance sheet and inflated the prices of companies it acquired.
Shetty, 77, was born in India and founded NMC in the 1970s after moving to Abu Dhabi. His spokesman said a legal review of the situation is ongoing and declined further comment.
Chief Investment Officer Hani Buttikhi and board member Abdulrahman Basaddiq also stepped down because they were appointees of Shetty and Butti, NMC said, adding that they had no knowledge of the share transfers.
Questions remain over the role of Shetty’s family at the company. His wife and son-in-law both hold roles in senior management.
Almost 10 per cent of NMC’s freely traded shares are shorted, according to Markit Securities data. In mid-December about a third of them were.
Last week GKSD Investment, an investment company backed by hospital investors, said it’s studying a possible offer for NMC. Under U.K. takeover rules, it has until March 9 to make a bid.
NMC has said Muddy Waters’s claims are false and the company hired former FBI Director Louis Freeh to conduct an independent review. The review is due to be completed before the company issues its financial results in March, the person said.
NMC said Mark Tompkins will continue as the company’s sole chairman.
Comments
SDPI ... No news.. Congress would have come with more seats if SDPI would Not contested.. last year they won few seats... i don't think they have not doing good job.. that's why lost seats preferably they should not be contesting for communal forces to win the election .. HOPE YOU LEARNT LESSON AND AVOID ELECTION SDPI
Shradha,
JNU row in DK? hahahahahahah.
What a connection you made. You may not be knowing overall Karnataka who is leading?
saleem na thigaldakutta
congress paid lots of money to the voters otherwise clean sweep.
historic victory for bjp, congress started downfall.
Siddaramaiah will lose his post soon, at the end ONLY wrist watch will remain for him,
congress da thigaldakatta
Outstanding performance by BJP - Mandate is against Congress.
Bjp has won 13 District Panchayats in Karnataka.I congratulate Bjp Team Karnataka for this spectacular victory. sorry for congress
what a bastion that BJP has just not being able to break. Not a single seat won in #Karnataka TP/ZP elections
JNU row, cant defeat BJP this is the answer for Truth.
BJP is in majority congress failed all over.
Ministers Like Khader will not lose. congrates khader
people know whom they should elect, the result is congress.
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