HK regulators examine Rusal demerger plan

Hong Kong’s stock market regulators are examining plans by Russian aluminium producer Rusal to spin off its high-carbon smelters and refineries into a separate company that will be listed in Moscow, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The decision to investigate the proposed demerger was set into motion by a complaint from Odey Asset Management, the report said, citing emails seen by the FT.

The London-based hedge fund believes a recent agreement involving Rusal’s two biggest shareholders means they should not be allowed to vote, the newspaper said. Rusal said it was not aware of any investigation by the regulator, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing.

“We have not to date published any information concerning voting arrangements concerning any general meetings to be held,” a Rusal representative told Reuters.

Hong Kong-listed Rusal said in May that it would demerge its higher carbon assets into a separate company as part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and will change its own name to AL+ as part of the process.