Shares of One97 Communications, the parent company of fintech platform Paytm, dropped more than 3 per cent in early trading on Tuesday amid reports of a significant stake sale by Ant Financial. The move comes as the Chinese fintech giant, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, prepares to offload shares worth approximately ₹2,200 crore through block deals.
According to a CNBC-TV18 report, a major transaction took place during opening trade, with around 1.70 crore shares—equivalent to 4.1 per cent equity in Paytm—changing hands. At 9:20 AM, Paytm’s stock was trading at ₹839.70 apiece, down from its previous close of ₹866.05 on Monday.
Sources indicate that Ant Financial is expected to sell around 4 per cent of its holding in Paytm, offering the shares at a floor price of ₹809.70. This price represents a discount of roughly 6.4 per cent compared to Monday’s closing rate. As of the March quarter, Antfin (Netherlands) Holding B.V. held a 9.85 per cent stake in One97 Communications.
The stake sale is reportedly being facilitated by Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Pvt Ltd and Citigroup Global Markets India Pvt Ltd, who are acting as the placement agents for the transaction.
Paytm’s Q4 Financial Performance
In its Q4 results for the financial year 2024-25, One97 Communications reported a consolidated net loss of ₹540 crore. This marks a slight improvement from the ₹550 crore loss posted in the same quarter last year.
However, when adjusted for exceptional items, the company revealed that its net loss for the quarter stood at just ₹23 crore, suggesting a move closer to profitability. The exceptional charges, totaling ₹522 crore, included ₹492 crore in accelerated expenses related to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and ₹30 crore in other impairments.
Despite the recent drop, Paytm’s stock has shown resilience over a longer period, gaining more than 3 per cent in the past month and nearly 15 per cent over the last six months.
Investors will be closely monitoring the impact of the stake sale on market sentiment and the company’s stock trajectory in the coming days.
