MC Insider | A sudden exit of CEO, real test for investors and a 'tasty deal' gone cold

The sudden exit of the CEO of a well-known lender backed by sovereign wealth funds appears to have deeper undercurrents than officially stated. Some say that the executive was facing internal complaints of favouritism, with unverified allegations of personal misconduct adding fuel to the fire. The matter, we hear, was reportedly flagged to the firm's foreign anchor investor, but no immediate intervention followed. But things escalated sharply when the CFO resigned, amplifying the discontent. A handful of other leaders are also believed to have exited in quick succession, pointing to turmoil within the leadership ranks. So far, no formal complaint has been filed, but the persistent murmurs in industry circles suggest the issue is far from settled.

A prominent new-age firm, a market leader by a mile, is gearing up for its roadshows, set to start within the next 10 days, in key Asian markets. Meanwhile, a recent move by a few of its marquee shareholders has raised eyebrows: they offloaded part of their stakes to the founder at a discount to the levels being whispered for the IPO. The optics may be a bit tricky, but the firm has turned profitable in FY25 and will look to woo investors over the next 30-45 days. For now, the real test will be whether investors look past this or keep it firmly under their lens.

The consumer sector has been abuzz of late with the ownership of a top patisserie chain changing hands and a popular appliance firm looking to offload a stake in a rather complex transaction. Now whispers on deal street suggest that a third much-anticipated deal in the segment that was months in the making, and a tasty one at that, may have gone cold suddenly due to commercial hurdles. Will the discussions revive? Well, only time will tell, and we will keep you posted on the fate of this one folks!