BNP Paribas Sells Paytm Shares Worth INR 1,330 Cr

SUMMARY

While BNP Paribas Financial Markets sold 1.05 Cr shares at INR 1,260.06 apiece to rake in INR 1,330.7 Cr, Integrated Core Strategies offloaded 32.55 Lakh shares to lap up INR 410.1 Cr

This comes a week after another investor Elevation Capital sold 1.19 Cr shares in the fintech major via two block deals for a total sum of INR 1,556 Cr

Shares of the fintech giant have rallied 23% on a YTD basis, driven primarily by growing revenues and continuing profitable show in Q2 FY26

French financial services giant BNP Paribas Financial Markets and Integrated Core Strategies (Asia) yesterday sold shares worth INR 1,740.8 Cr in listed fintech major Paytm via multiple bulk deals.

As per NSE data, BNP Paribas Financial Markets sold 1.05 Cr shares at INR 1,260.06 apiece to rake in INR 1,330.7 Cr. Meanwhile, Integrated Core Strategies offloaded 32.55 Lakh shares at INR 1,259.85 to lap up INR 410.1 Cr.

Both investors sold their stakes at a marginal discount to the stock’s last closing price yesterday. There was no clarity on who lapped up the shares.

The development comes a week after another investor Elevation Capital sold 1.19 Cr shares in the fintech major via two block deals for a total sum of INR 1,556 Cr. The backers are dumping their shareholding, with an eye on booking profits amid an uptick in Paytm shares.

Shares of the fintech giant have rallied 40% in the past year, and are trading higher at more than 23% on a year-to-date (YTD) basis. This jump has come largely on the back of its growing revenues and profitability.

On the financial front, Paytm’s profit declined 98% to INR 21 Cr in the second quarter (Q2) of the fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26) as against INR 930 Cr in the year-ago quarter. The bottom line narrowed largely on the back of a one-time impairment loss of INR 190 Cr against a loan given to its now-shut real money gaming joint venture First Games.

However, operating revenue rose 24% year-on-year (YoY) and 7% sequentially to INR 2,061 Cr in the quarter under review.

The stake sale also comes amid Paytm’s renewed focus on the digital payments vertical following RBI’s crackdown on its payments bank arm in 2024. As a result, the company either sold off other businesses or shut down these offerings.

The company’s board recently approved an additional investment of INR 2,250 Cr in its payments arm, Paytm Payments Services Limited (PPSL). Alongside, the company also launched a new feature that allows non-resident Indians (NRIs) to use their international mobile numbers to make UPI payments.

In addition, the fintech major has also been working on simplifying its group structure to consolidate operations, trim redundancies and improve regulatory compliance. It is also leveraging AI to slash costs and boost automation.

Shares of Paytm closed yesterday’s trading session 0.44% lower at INR 1,260.35 on the BSE.