ITC shares Surge on Adani Worries

Shares in tobacco manufacturer ITC have increased more than 75 percent as investors seek stability in the Indian stock market, which has been churning with concerns about corporate governance following Hindenburg Research’s allegations against the Adani Group.

“ITC’s stable cash flow and dividends have won hearts of investors in this volatile environment amid Adani’s troubles and inflation,” Sameer Kalra, founder of Target Investing in Mumbai, told Bloomberg. “The company is also expected to unlock value of its noncigarette businesses.”

ITC not only offers attractive dividend yields and returns on equity, but it also ranks top in a Bloomberg Economics analysis of governance, liquidity and leverage at Indian conglomerates.

ITC has gotten a further boost from stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings. In early February, ITC reported a profit of INR50.31 billion ($614.52 billion) in the October–December quarter, up from INR40.56 billion in the comparable 2021 period. The company attributed the increase to strong cigarette sales and steady demand for its packaged foods.