Blackstone ups stake in MCX, buys 14.2 lakh shares for Rs 81 cr

Mumbai: Blackstone on Monday bought 2.79 percent stake in MCX for around Rs 81 crore, after the Forward MarketsCommission gave the private equity giant its nod to hikeholding in the commodity bourse to 4.99 percent.

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According to information available with the stockexchanges, foreign fund house Merrill Lynch sold its entire14,22,245 shares, amounting to 2.79 per cent stake, of MCX toBlackstone GPV Capital Partners Mauritius VI FII Ltd.The shares were offloaded on an average price of Rs 573valuing the transaction at Rs 81.49 crore.

As of September quarter, Blackstone held 10.19 lakhshares, equivalent to two per cent stake, in MCX.On December 18, the Forward Markets Commission (FMC)

accorded its approval to Blackstone GPV Capital Partners(Mauritius) VI FII Ltd to increase its stake in the company upto 4.99 percent through secondary market transactions.Increasing its stake to 4.99 percent would makeBlackstone the largest non-promoter shareholder in MCX, aheadof Aginyx Enterprises Ltd and IFCI Ltd, which each held 4.79percent in the bourse.

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Earlier in March, Merrill Lynch had sold 1.99 per centstake of MCX, to Blackstone, for an estimated Rs 104 crore.MCX shares today closed at Rs 571.45apiece on the BSE,down 0.21 per cent from the previous close.

PTI