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Articles Published by Hemindra Hazari

Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) sent the following response to this analyst’s article, “KMB Talks of “Highest Standards of Corporate Governance”, But Avoids Telling Shareholders about Adverse SEBI Orders against Executive Director”  (dated August 3, 2022; it was later released to the general public as well, on grounds of public...
On the one hand, Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) is proudly broadcasting to shareholders its thoughts on the virtues of corporate governance, and how the bank is more than merely conforming to the letter of the law.   At the same time, a notice to KMB shareholders seeking approval to re-appoint...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. According to the grand theory of capitalism and the free market, competition anoints the customer as king. In the capital market, it is argued that increasing the number of players would improve price discovery, and greater scrutiny of managements’ conduct would discipline them. Thus the market would...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. On July 19, 2022, based on a police press release, the media reported (here and here) a major theft in the currency chest of the ICICI Bank branch in Dombivali (near Mumbai). Allegedly, an ICICI Bank employee, on the weekend of July 9- 10, 2022, robbed the...
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s order dated June 30, 2022 indicted not only the senior-most executives of Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund (KMF), but also Kotak Mahindra Trustee Company (KMTC), for failing in its oversight of the asset management company. The matter related to KMF’s investment in...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Yes Bank is in the news  for its non-performing assets, a legacy of erstwhile founder-CEO Rana Kapoor’s  reckless lending being transferred to an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC). If and when the deal is announced, the balance sheet and the bank will be absolved of the sins of...
Jay Kotak’s appointment comes with questions for the private banking sector, which has mostly eschewed the dynastic tendencies of old-school India Inc companies. Jay Kotak (standing) and Manish Agarwal of the Kotak Mahindra Bank's 811 initiative. Photo: YouTube screengrabSupport Us Listen to this article:BANKING 36 MINUTES AGO On May 26, 2022, a...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. When private bank stocks languish, or worse, spiral downwards, it is not just shareholders whose wealth erodes. Senior management executives, the elites in the private financial sector, also grievously suffer, as much of their personal wealth may be tied up in employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).  When the...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The phenomenal success of HDFC Bank under the stewardship of Aditya Puri, its first CEO, had some unfortunate consequences. It led to a belief that the recipe for achieving a premium valuation was to employ larger-than-life Alpha leaders who promoted an aggressive work culture, imposed long working...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Axis Bank’s acquisition of Citibank India’s consumer finance division has been applauded by the stock market, and the bank has outperformed Nifty-50 and the Bank Nifty since the announcement. However, Axis Bank shareholders need to be more cautious about whether the acquisition will deliver the returns that the...