Paytm bulk deal: Societe Generale buys over 67 lakh shares worth Rs 720 crore in One 97 Communications

Synopsis

Societe Generale acquired over 67 lakh Paytm shares worth Rs 720 crore as Antfin exited its 5.84% stake. With no Chinese ownership remaining, Paytm's cap table realigns with regulatory norms, potentially boosting investor sentiment.

French banking behemoth Societe Generale bought over 67 lakh shares worth Rs 720 crore in Paytm parent One 97 Communications via a couple of bulk deals on Tuesday where Ant Group affiliate Antfin (Netherlands) Holding B.V. made a complete exit from the company, selling 5.84% stake that represented over 3.72 crore shares.

Societe Generale purchased these shares at a price of Rs 1,067.50 a piece, above the floor price of Rs 1,020. The floor price was at a 5.4% discount over the Monday closing price.

Paytm shares closed with 2.3% declines today, settling at Rs 1,053 crore on the NSE.

There was another bulk deal reported where My Asian Opportunities Master Fund LP bought 35 lakh shares worth Rs 374 crore. The shares were purchased at a price of Rs 1,067.50 apiece.

Antfin was the last remaining Chinese shareholder, and now Paytm will no longer have any Chinese ownership.

"With the long-standing overhang from a major Chinese investor now removed, Paytm’s stock could see a positive reaction as ownership concerns ease and supply pressure decreases. Such clean-out trades often provide clarity to the market, allowing investors to refocus on fundamentals and future growth. The exit also aligns the cap table more with regulatory expectations, which could be viewed favourably in the context of Paytm’s pending payment aggregator license," said JM Financial's Sachin Dixit.

With the exit of Antfin, Paytm’s pre-IPO cap table has seen a near-complete churn. Major early backers, including Alibaba, SoftBank, and Berkshire Hathaway, have all exited fully over the past two years. Elevation Capital (formerly SAIF Partners) now stands as the only significant pre-IPO investor still holding a stake of 15.4% as of June 2025.

Read more: Antfin exits Paytm in Rs 3,800 crore bulk deal. What zero-Chinese ownership means for investors

One 97 Communications swung to profit in Q1FY26, with consolidated net gain of Rs 122.5 crore against a loss of Rs 839 crore in the year ago period. The company's revenue from operations stood at Rs 1,917 crore, which was up 28% from Rs 1,502 crore reported in the corresponding quarter of the last financial year. One 97 Communication had reported a net loss of Rs 540 crore in Q4FY25 and it was attributable to the owners of the parent.

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