Russia's second-largest trading bourse, SPB Exchange, is embroiled in a bizarre situation involving bankruptcy claims. These claims, purportedly filed by fraudsters, caused the exchange's shares to fall.
According to a report by Reuters, SPB Exchange has clarified that it did not initiate any bankruptcy proceedings, emphasizing that it was financially stable with no signs of insolvency. Notably, two separate filings dated November 24th featured SPB Exchange as a defendant.
SPB Exchange to Launch an Investigation into the Claims
Interestingly, the Moscow Arbitration Court has refused to acknowledge these filings. This has raised questions about the authenticity and motive behind the purported bankruptcy claims. SPB Exchange has vowed to seek legal recourse and launch an investigation into what it said was forgery and improper declaration of bankruptcy.
Earlier subjected to US sanctions, SPB Exchange faced challenges adapting its strategies focusing on settlements in rubles. The challenges relate to sanctions targeting SPB Exchange and other measures restricting evasion of sanctions imposed against Russia last year.
SPB Exchange grappled with a substantial setback following the sanctions, compelling a temporary halt in trading activities, according to a separate report by Reuters. These sanctions forced the exchange to reorient its strategies towards settlements in rubles while seeking international legal advice to navigate the complexities arising from the trading pause.
Navigating Sanctions in Russia
The trading halt triggered concerns among shareholders and compelled SPB Exchange to address compliance demands from foreign intermediaries. SPB Exchange's CEO, Evgeny Serdyukhov, highlighted the necessity of compliance. The exchange limited settlements to transactions that were concluded before the sanctions were imposed.
Serdyukhov emphasized the engagement of international sanctions lawyers to facilitate the transfer of shares, payments to investors, and determine the appropriate currency for these transactions.
While SPB Exchange assured clients of the safety of their asset holdings, Russia's central bank expressed concerns about the exchange's long-term viability if foreign asset trading diminished. Governor Elvira Nabiullina highlighted the risks associated with foreign securities and estimated significant volumes of foreign shares being blocked.
