An investment vehicle backed by Abu Dhabi sovereign investor ADQ and partly owned by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan is in advanced discussions to buy a minority stake in Blackstone-backed Aadhar Housing Finance, said people in the know. Sheikh Tahnoon is the United Arab Emirates national security adviser as well as ADQ chair. The $200-225 million investment (Rs 1,750-2,000 crore) will be made through the secondary sale of shares for a 10-12% stake in the affordable housing finance company, which held an IPO in 2024. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks, said the people mentioned cited above. Blackstone declined to comment about the identity of the new investor or any other details. ADQ and Sheikh Tahnoon’s office didn’t respond to. On Friday, Aadhar closed at Rs 496.90 for a market value of Rs 21,469.03 crore. In the past month, it has appreciated 12.11% in anticipation of a transaction. Year to date it is up 18.63% on the back of a robust performance. The company reported a 19% increase in net profit to Rs 237 crore in the first quarter ended June. The industry is likely to see a five-year CAGR of 17-18%. The management and the board will stay in place. Under Blackstone's six-year ownership, Aadhar’s AUM has ballooned to $3 billion, 1.2x that of its nearest competitor. Other than ADQ, Abu Dhabi has several sovereign investment funds, including ADIA, Mubadala and AI-focused MGX. The oil-rich emirate has been keen on betting large sums to back new vehicles as it positions itself as a hub of global capital. For example, in 2024, ADQ and Chimera Investment--part of the sprawling business empire of Sheikh Tahnoon–launched Lunate, which has emerged as one of the hottest new asset managers of the region, which has invested in close to 30 deals in one year. Lunate also owns Alterra, a $30 billion climate fund, with international groups BlackRock, TPG and Brookfield. ADQ has committed $6.5 billion to Alterra. Lunate includes Alterra in its assets under management.
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