Paytm Shares Flat as Antfin Likely Sells 2.9% Stake in $434M Block Deal

On August 5, 2025,

One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, saw its shares remain flat following a block deal involving 1.86 crore shares, representing 2.9 percent of its total equity. Reports indicate that Antfin (Netherlands) Holding B.V., a major shareholder, is likely offloading its entire 5.84 percent stake, valued at approximately Rs 3,803 crore ($434 million), through this block deal. The transaction, executed at a floor price of Rs 1,020 per share—a 5.4 percent discount from the previous close of Rs 1,078.20 on the NSE—is a secondary sale with no fresh equity issuance. Described as a “clean-up trade” with no post-deal lock-in, the deal is reportedly facilitated by placement agents Citi and Goldman Sachs, according to Moneycontrol. Antfin, an early investor with a 28 percent stake before Paytm’s IPO, has been steadily reducing its holding. In August 2023, it transferred 10.3 percent to Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, followed by a 4 percent open market sale in May 2025 for Rs 2,100 crore. This latest move marks Antfin’s near-complete exit, aligning Paytm’s shareholder base with regulatory expectations and potentially easing ownership concerns. With Antfin’s departure, Paytm’s pre-IPO cap table has seen significant churn, with major investors like Alibaba, SoftBank, and Berkshire Hathaway having exited over the past two years. Elevation Capital, holding 15.4 percent as of June 2025, remains the only significant pre-IPO investor alongside Sharma. Foreign institutional investors own 54.9 percent, domestic institutions hold 15.8 percent, and public shareholders account for 29.3 percent of the company’s equity. JM Financial noted that Antfin’s exit could drive a positive market reaction by reducing supply pressure and refocusing investor attention on Paytm’s fundamentals and growth prospects. The move also supports Paytm’s compliance with regulatory expectations, potentially aiding its pending payment aggregator license.