Uday Kotak to offload 2.8% in Kotak Bank

Kotak Mahindra Bank promoter Uday Kotak is slated to sell 2.8 per cent of his stake in the bank on Tuesday to bring down his holding to 26.1 per cent, from 28.94 per cent currently.

According to the terms of the deal seen by Bloomberg, Kotak is expected to sell 56 million shares in a block deal via secondary placement in a price range of Rs 1,215-1,240. The deal is being roughly valued at Rs 6,804-6,944 crore.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Kotak Mahindra Bank had reached an agreement in February this year under which the central bank gave six months to the bank’s promoters to pare their stake from 29.92 per cent to 26 per cent. The current stake sale comes a few months before the August 2020 deadline. 

The RBI had conveyed to the bank that its promoters, led by Managing Director and CEO Uday Kotak, would have 20 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital until March 2020, and it would be further brought down to 15 per cent from April 2020.

In December 2018, Kotak Mahindra Bank had moved a writ petition in the Bombay High Court against the RBI after the central bank did not accept the reduction of promoter shareholding through an issue of preference shares. Following the agreement this year, the bank withdrew the writ petition.

Recently, the private lender raised more than Rs 7,440 crore via a qualified institutional placement by issuing 65 million shares to institutional investors at Rs 1,145 apiece. The QIP led the promoter shareholding in the bank fall 98 basis points to 28.94 per cent, from 29.92 per cent.

Institutional investors, including Invesco Oppenheimer Developing markets Fund, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, were allotted 8.02 per cent, 7.12 per cent, and 6.30 per cent, respectively, of the total offer size.

Disclosure: Entities controlled by the Kotak family have a significant holding in Business Standard Pvt Ltd.