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Imagine a bustling jewellery market teeming with diamonds and gold. Amidst this glittering chaos, a small stall is trying to sell handcrafted gemstones. Even as newer and shinier outlets keep cropping up, all vying for attention, this gemstone store offers some of the oldest yet valuable jewels at a discount. Though they lack immediate sparkle, these rare gems reveal their value to the discerning buyer. This is how South Korea appears for many experts in global capital markets: a trove of undervalued gems, overshadowed by brighter, more aggressively marketed investment options. This undervaluation, known as the "<keyword id="24399183" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="korean-discount" source="keywords">Korean Discount</keyword>," reflects how South Korean companies are priced much lower than their global peers despite robust fundamentals — strong financial performance and consistent profitability. Contributing factors are many, ranging from opaque governance structures to geopolitical risks. But the fact stays, if you are a seasoned conglomerate listed in South Korea, you are likely undervalued. <keyword id="19906087" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hyundai" source="keywords">Hyundai</keyword> Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), a subsidiary of the Korean giant Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), recently sought to escape this valuation trap by listing in India, a market where investor optimism commands premium pricing. But its valuation raised many eyebrows! Now that a month and a half has gone by since its listing, time is apt to examine if this gamble paid off. Will <keyword id="93460" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="hyundai-india" source="Orion">Hyundai India</keyword> justify its high valuation? Or does the listing highlight broader questions about the overheated valuation dynamics of Indian markets? A record-breaking <keyword id="19898327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipo" source="keywords">IPO</keyword> but questions remain Hyundai Motor India’s mega Initial Public Offering (IPO), launched in October 2024, broke records by raising ₹27,870 crore, making it India’s largest-ever IPO. The offer was oversubscribed by 2.37 times, highlighting robust demand. But many investors remained sceptical: was this IPO an honest attempt to expand Hyundai’s footprint in India or was it trying to offer a way to cashout for existing investors and promoters? Or perhaps, is it an attempt by the Korean chaebol — a large family-owned business conglomerate — to break free from the aforementioned “Korean Discount”? When shares listed on October 22, these concerns seemingly weighed on the minds of most investors and the stock promptly dipped 5% below the issue price on the day. A tepid grey market performance had already foreshadowed this muted debut in the Indian markets. Now, after almost 35 trading sessions on Indian market, the stock remains almost exactly at price it listed on October 22 at Rs 1820—no gain, no loss. <h3>The gamble of hyper-valuation</h3>Much of this hesitation stemmed from Hyundai’s valuation. On listing, Hyundai was valued at $18 billion, positioning it as one of India’s most valuable automotive companies. However, such high valuations often temper investor enthusiasm, resulting in more cautious short-term outcomes. For most investors, the Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio is the most preferred parameter to gauge if a company is overvalued or undervalued. With a P/E ratio of 26.3, HMIL was priced significantly above the Indian automotive industry average of 24.4. Globally, automotive companies operate with much lower P/E ratios, reflecting mature market conditions and slower growth trajectories. HMIL’s South Korean parent Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) trades at a meagre 3.07, believe it or not! For Indian investors, the high premium hinted at overvaluation despite Hyundai’s strong domestic position. Such stark difference in valuation obviously sparked debates — is the Indian market assigning a premium to Hyundai Motor India’s growth potential, or is it simply reflecting the general exuberance around the prospects of the Indian economy? Another concern is the allocation of IPO proceeds. Hyundai’s IPO was structured as an offer for sale (OFS), meaning all funds raised would flow to the parent company rather than Hyundai India’s operations. Although Hyundai has committed to investing in R&amp;D for EVs and hybrids, critics argue that the lack of immediate reinvestment in India’s operations reflects a missed opportunity for domestic growth. Despite the early disappointment, Hyundai was confident that the valuation was fair. It did have some factors going for it, in addition to the fact that other auto giants like Mahindra &amp; Mahindra and <keyword id="19909974" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maruti-suzuki" source="keywords">Maruti Suzuki</keyword> command even higher P/E ratios. And looking at the company fundamentals, it does seem like Hyundai is playing a long-term game. <h3>Hyundai in India: A proven track record</h3>Despite the initial stumble, Hyundai India’s long-term story is compelling. Since entering the Indian market in 1996, the automaker has sold over 8 million vehicles and firmly occupies the second spot in the domestic passenger vehicle market, trailing only Maruti Suzuki. Hyundai’s blockbuster SUV offerings, like the Creta and Venue, have been critical in building this dominance. Despite some challenge from Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Tata Punch, Creta has retained the tag of ‘most-selling SUV in India’ successfully so far this year. <div type="image" title="Hyundai" agency="Business Insider India" msid="116156234" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Selling over 17,000 units per month on average this year, Creta has edged past major competitors to be the most-selling SUV in India in 2024. As Indian consumers preference continues to shift gradually towards premium products over budget segments, Hyundai stands to benefit (Wikimedia Commons / Canva)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Selling over 17,000 units per month on average, Creta has edged past major competitors to be the most-selling SUV in India in 2024. As Indian consumers preference continues to shift gradually towards premium products over budget segments, Hyundai stands to benefit (Wikimedia Commons / Canva) Hyundai India’s market share of 14% in October 2024 underscores its clout. The company’s ability to tap into India’s premiumisation trend, where consumers increasingly prefer high-end vehicles, positions it well for growth. With plans to expand in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid technology, Hyundai is poised to capitalise on both domestic demand and export opportunities. The company’s ability to capitalize on its strong brand, extensive dealer network, and leadership in segments like SUVs and exports will determine its future performance. Hyundai’s strategic focus on expanding electric vehicle production also aligns with global trends towards sustainability, potentially positioning it as a leader in the segment. By listing in India, Hyundai aims not only to expand its operations but also to make India a global manufacturing and export hub for its products, especially SUVs and EVs. Therefore, despite early setbacks, Hyundai’s gamble seems to have paid off. The stock has rebounded, gaining 5% in the past month. More good news came in this week, as positive projections from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan forecast an impressive 17-28% upside for the stock over the next year, reflecting growing investor optimism. <h3>A strategic pivot from the Korean Discount?</h3>The Korean Discount has long plagued South Korea’s chaebols, including Hyundai. Experts attribute this to several factors: <ul> <li>Chaebol Governance: South Korea’s conglomerates, known as chaebols, are often criticised for opaque governance structures and excessive family control.</li> <li>Geopolitical Risks: Tensions with North Korea contribute to investor caution, adding a layer of perceived risk.</li> <li>Limited Domestic Liquidity: South Korea’s relatively small investor base can constrain market activity and valuation potential.</li> </ul> By listing in India, Hyundai sought to unlock better valuations for its subsidiary, leveraging the optimism of Indian markets. India’s stock market has a trailing P/E ratio of 24.4, far above South Korea’s Kospi average of 16-17. The Indian market’s appetite for high-growth stories provides a fertile ground for companies like Hyundai to escape the valuation constraints of their home market. A successful IPO could encourage other such conglomerates to follow suit, setting a precedent. While Hyundai India has a robust track record, its future success hinges on navigating key challenges: <ul> <li>Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: Hyundai relies heavily on its Chennai plant, making it vulnerable to disruptions.</li> <li>Intensifying Competition: Domestic rivals like <keyword id="19906967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-motors" source="keywords">Tata Motors</keyword> and MG Motors are making aggressive inroads into the EV market.</li> <li>Policy Risks: The automotive sector’s reliance on government incentives for EVs and hybrids adds a layer of unpredictability.</li> </ul> High valuations come with risks. Hyundai will need to prove that it can sustain its growth trajectory in India, fend off competition from established players like Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors, and navigate challenges such as supply chain disruptions and regulatory hurdles. If Hyundai successfully capitalises on its strong brand and market leadership, it could not only redefine its value but also serve as a case study for other Korean companies seeking better recognition and valuations in global markets. <h3>Is Hyundai saga a reflection of overheated Indian markets?</h3>The bigger question here is, does Hyundai’s IPO highlights a broader narrative about Indian markets’ premium valuations? With a trailing P/E ratio of 24.4, Nifty 50 index is among the highest in emerging markets. India’s stock markets consistently command a premium due to robust retail participation, strong economic growth prospects, and a burgeoning middle class. While this premium reflects optimism about India’s long-term growth story, it also signals potential risks of overvaluation, particularly in sectors like technology, automotive, and consumer goods. With a record ₹94,017 crore outflow by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in October 2024, concerns about overheated valuations are mounting. Sustaining such unprecedented valuations required companies to consistently perform above global averages, and retaining robust earnings growth quarter after quarter remains a challenge in today’s uncertain world. For Hyundai, the high valuation is both an opportunity and a risk. While it underscores investor confidence, it narrows the margin of safety, making the stock vulnerable to corrections during economic downturns. Take for example, the high-profile IPO of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) that raised over ₹21,000 crore. Its listing was met with disappointment as the stock began trading at a 9% discount to its issue price, and subsequent performance has remained subdued. LIC’s post-IPO journey also highlights how inflated valuations can lead to long-term underperformance, as the stock gave only 12% return over the past 30 months when even the Nifty 50 index went up by over 44%. This happens when when the company's growth narrative fails to align with its pricing. Despite being a household name with a dominant market share, LIC's stock has struggled to meet expectations, partly due to concerns about its operating efficiency and the limited use of IPO proceeds for growth initiatives. Make no mistake, Hyundai Motor India’s IPO is a landmark event! It showcases the potential for Korean companies to leverage emerging markets like India for better valuations. It also shows that strong fundamentals can help justify a company such premium valuations even amidst bearish economic prospects. However, it also serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of overvaluation. For Hyundai, the next steps involve proving its long-term growth story, navigating competitive challenges, and maintaining investor confidence. For Indian markets, Hyundai’s IPO underscores the need to balance optimism with realistic expectations as they continue to evolve as global investment hotspots. To sustain the country’s economic narrative as a land of unmatched opportunities, corporate India must work on improving long-term fundamentals and mitigating long-term risks. As global investors watch closely, Hyundai India’s success or failure could shape how international companies view India as a listing destination in the years to come.

Tackling the 'Korean Discount': A deep dive into curious case of Hyundai Motor India's market listing

Indian companies across multiple sectors have reported disappointing results in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, notes a new JM Financials report. Consequently, their poor performance has triggered stock price corrections for affected companies. The brunt of this weaker than expected earnings was largely borne by consumer centric sectors like FMCG (fast moving consumer goods), retail, and auto, which slacked largely due to dampened urban demand. For instance, India's largest automaker, Maruti Suzuki, reported a 5% YoY decline in its total domestic passenger vehicle wholesales, largely on the back of pent-up inventory. Similarly, Honda reported a staggering 23% YoY dip in its total sales during October 2024. A recent report by Bernstein noted that around 48% of the companies listed on the NSE100 index missed their earnings estimate for Q2FY25, the highest since March 2020. Most companies have mentioned deteriorated domestic demand, urban slowing, macroeconomic risk, and margin pressures as the main reasons behind the dip. "The quarter's earnings have made investors nervous," noted the JM Financials report. The challenging environment stems from multiple factors: softening consumer demand, rising input costs, and companies' limited ability to increase prices. Moreover, this is not limited to just one quarter. Companies have been reporting weak, single-digit earnings growth for the last six consecutive quarters. Data from India Data Hub also suggests that corporate profits of listed companies plunged by as much as 3.4% during the quarter ended September 30, 2024. This is in stark contrast to the year-ago period, where they had shot up by over 40% The oil and gas sector had a difficult quarter, with refiners hit by weak margins and city gas distributors struggling with higher input costs. Financial institutions showed mixed results. While government-owned banks reported strong numbers, microfinance institutions and some private lenders faced massive difficulties with their unsecured loans. Most notable amongst this was the case of IndusInd Bank, which saw its net profits dip by 40% amidst burgeoning provisions, which climbed 87% to Rs 1,820 crore in Q2, as against Rs 974 crore reported in the year-ago period. <h2>Markets head southwards</h2>The selling trend by FPIs has dragged down the major Indian indices, the Nifty 50 and Sensex, both of which have dropped by around 8% since the beginning of this selling spree in October. According to National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) data, FPIs offloaded equities worth a significant Rs 19,994 crore in just the first five trading sessions of November last week. The impact is clearly visible on Indian stock markets. Data suggests that while every sector in October closed the month in red, auto, oil and gas, and consumer durables were the most badly hit, each declining by as much as 10% during the month. Another indicator underlining the inherent weakness of the market was that the month saw only 242 stocks hit their 52-week high, significantly below the usual monthly average of 310.

India Inc. stares at an earnings dearth in Q2, FMCG, auto, and consumer durables falter

Enviro Infra Engineers, which is involved in the development of turnkey projects of <keyword id="19979438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sewage-treatment-plants" source="keywords">sewage treatment plants</keyword> and sewerage systems, on Monday fixed a price band of ₹140-148 per share for its ₹650 crore <keyword id="19913114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Initial-Public-Offering" source="keywords">Initial Public Offering</keyword> (IPO). The initial share sale will open for public subscription on November 22 and conclude on November 26. The bidding for anchor investors will open for a day on November 21, the company announced. The city-based company's proposed IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of 3.87 crore equity shares and an Offer For Sale (OFS) component of 52.68 lakh shares by promoters. Currently, promoters hold over 93 per cent stake in Enviro Infra Engineers. At the higher end of the price band, the IPO is valued at ₹650 crore, placing the company's market capitalization at approximately ₹2,600 crore. Proceeds from the fresh issue to the tune of ₹181 crore will be used to meet the working capital requirements, ₹100 crore will be used for payment of debt, ₹30 crore will be infused into the company's subsidiary, EIEL Mathura Infra Engineers, to build 60 million litres per day Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, a portion will be used for general corporate purposes. Half of the issue size has been reserved for qualified institutional buyers, 35 per cent for retail investors and the remaining 15 per cent for non-institutional investors. Enviro Infra Engineers is engaged in designing, construction, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants and water supply scheme projects for government authorities/bodies. The treatment process installed by the company at most of the STPs is zero liquid discharge-compliant and the treated water can be used for horticulture, washing, refrigeration, and other process industries. Hem Securities is the sole book-running lead manager of the public issue. The equity shares of the company are expected to be listed on the BSE and NSE on November 29. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/ntpc-green-energy-ipo-gmp-risk-factors-and-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/115403791.cms">NTPC Green Energy IPO – GMP, risk factors and all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-launched-in-india-priced-at-9-42-lakh/slidelist/115332842.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/kawasaki-ninja-zx-4rr-launched-in-india-priced-at-9-42-lakh/slidelist/115332842.cms" target="_blank">Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR launched in India priced at ₹9.42 lakh</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-grow-5-6-in-q3-2024-vivo-leads-the-market/articleshow/115329847.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-shipments-grow-5-6-in-q3-2024-vivo-leads-the-market/articleshow/115329847.cms" target="_blank">Indian smartphone shipments grow 5.6% in Q3 2024, Vivo leads the market</a>

Enviro Infra Engineers IPO to open on Nov 22; eyes ₹650 crore

Billionaire <keyword id="19916798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="keywords">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>'s Reliance Industries and <keyword id="19924335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Group" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Tata Group">Tata Group</keyword> have made it to the prestigious TIME's list of 100 World's Most Influential Companies of 2024. TIME called Reliance 'India's Juggernaut'. This is the second time that Reliance has found its way into the TIME list. Jio Platforms, the firm that holds digital properties of the conglomerate, was included in the inaugural TIME 100 Most Influential Companies List of 2021. Serum Institute is the other Indian company on the list. TIME listed Reliance in the 'Titans' category (one of the five categories under which the companies were divided, other being Leaders, Disrupters, Innovators, and Pioneers). Tata was listed in 'Titan's' category while Serum under 'Pioneers'. "Reliance Industries was founded as a textile and polyester company 58 years ago by Dhirubhai Ambani. Today the sprawling conglomerate -- which has aligned its growth with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a 'self-reliant' India -- is the country's most valuable company, with a market capitalisation of more than USD 200 billion," TIME said. Now led by Dhirubhai's son Mukesh, the Mumbai-based company has ventures in energy, retail, and telecommunications, among others, and has made its chairman Asia's richest man, it said. The publication went on to stated that in February, Reliance came out on top in a fiercely competitive race to dominate India's burgeoning streaming market by striking a USD 8.5 billion merger deal with Disney's India business. "The deal will bring together more than 100 television channels and give the combined group around a 31 per cent share of India's streaming market compared to rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime with 8 per cent each," according to analytics firm Comscore. Reliance has revolutionised several economic sectors in the world's most populous country by making world-class products and services available at affordable prices with multiple innovations. Under Mukesh Ambani, the firm's telecom arm Jio revolutionised India's digital landscape and drove digital inclusion on an unprecedented scale with the most affordable mobile data tariffs in the world. It set up the world's largest single location refining complex. Reliance Retail is ranked among the top 100 retailers globally and in FY24 it registered 1.06 billion footfalls across its 18,800+ stores (67 per cent of which are in small towns and villages). Reliance is investing USD 10 billion in building the most comprehensive ecosystem for new energy and new materials in India and has set an ambitious goal to reach net-zero carbon by 2035. TIME described Serum as the world's biggest vaccine maker, churning out billions of vaccines. The company makes 3.5 billion doses every year, including for measles, polio, and most recently, HPV. "Serum's CEO Adar Poonawalla says the company's success can largely be chalked up to its private ownership. Not being beholden to shareholders allows it to keep vaccine prices low (the R21 will cost USD 4 a shot)," the publication said. Tata Group, it said, was founded in 1868 and has a vast portfolio extending from steel, software, watches, subsea cables, and chemicals, to salt, grains, air-conditioners, fashion, and hotels. "But as rivals have aggressively courted new businesses, it struggled to keep up with stiff competition. In 2017, after over a century of family management, N Chandrasekaran took over as chairman despite having no personal ties to the family -- highly unusual when India's business landscape is ruled by family succession plans," TIME said. As chair, he has transformed the group by investing in tech manufacturing, AI, and semiconductor chips. In 2023, it became the first Indian company to assemble iPhones, and is building another plant, it said, adding that in September, Tata announced a partnership with Nvidia to develop an AI cloud in India. "And this year, it announced plans for the country's first major semiconductor manufacturing facility. The moves seem to be paying off: in February, Tata's combined market capitalisation reached a whopping USD 365 billion, more than the entire economy of India's neighbour and rival, Pakistan," it added. This is the fourth edition of annual TIME100 Most Influential Companies list, highlighting companies making an extraordinary impact around the world. To assemble the list, TIME solicited nominations across sectors, and polled its global network of contributors and correspondents, as well as outside experts. Then, TIME editors evaluated each on key factors, including impact, innovation, ambition, and success. The result is a diverse group of 100 businesses helping chart an essential path forward. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lok-sabha-exit-poll-2024-what-are-they-when-will-they-be-announced-and-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/110565608.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lok-sabha-exit-poll-2024-what-are-they-when-will-they-be-announced-and-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/110565608.cms" target="_blank">Lok Sabha Exit Poll 2024 – what are they, when will they be announced and all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/truecaller-can-now-detect-if-the-caller-is-using-ai-how-to-use-it-to-prevent-ai-call-scams/articleshow/110556100.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/truecaller-can-now-detect-if-the-caller-is-using-ai-how-to-use-it-to-prevent-ai-call-scams/articleshow/110556100.cms" target="_blank">Truecaller can now detect if the caller is using AI – How to use it to prevent AI call scams</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/indias-t20-world-cup-team-matches-and-everything-you-need-to-know/slidelist/110551798.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/indias-t20-world-cup-team-matches-and-everything-you-need-to-know/slidelist/110551798.cms" target="_blank">India’s T20 World Cup team, matches and everything you need to know</a>

Reliance, Tata on TIME's list of world's most influential companies

The unsung warriors of 'The Price Is Right'

The experience of lying in bed late at night and scrolling through a nearly infinite feed of homes is a modern miracle — not merely because of all the tech packed into your iPhone, but for the simple reason that all those houses are gathered in one place. Open up Zillow, Redfin, or any of their competitors, and you'll have a clear picture of almost all the homes up for grabs around the country.That may be about to change. Real estate's power players are engaged in a bitter standoff over who exactly gets to see the millions of homes listed for sale in the US each year. At the center of the debate are the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-estate-agents-lawsuits-buy-sell-homes-forever-housing-market-2023-6">multiple-listing services</a>, or MLSes, local databases that gather pictures and details of homes for sale. Almost as soon as a real-estate agent starts touting a home publicly — via an email blast, a post on their website, or a sign in a front yard — they'll throw the listing on the MLS to be fed to other agents and aggregator sites like Zillow. Smart business move? Sure. But agents also don't have a choice, thanks to a rule handed down five years ago by the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawsuits-verdict-realtors-brokerages-real-estate-agents-home-buying-selling-2023-11">powerful National Association of Realtors</a> called the "clear-cooperation policy," which requires them to list a home on the MLS within one business day of marketing it to the public.Some of the industry's high-profile figures are pushing for the NAR to loosen the rule or get rid of it, which they say would give sellers and their agents more freedom to choose where — and to whom — they advertise their properties. The NAR's top brass are set to consider the change in the coming months.The cynical take is that those in favor of a shake-up — including the leaders of some of the country's largest real-estate brokerages, like Compass and Anywhere Real Estate, the owner of big-name brands like Coldwell Banker and Century 21 — just want to hoard listings on their own websites. As gatekeepers, the thinking goes, they'll be able to lure agents and clients with exclusive access to these properties, growing their businesses and padding their bottom lines. The result would be a more fractured market; instead of going to just Zillow or Realtor.com, a buyer might have to comb through individual brokerages' websites. Agents might be emboldened to share listings among private networks of in-the-know brokers rather than market them to everyone. More homes could trade hands out of view of the average homebuyer."If you were to ask people, 'Should houses be hidden?' most people would say no," Brian Boero, the CEO of 1000Watt, a brand and marketing agency for real-estate companies, told me. "If you asked people, 'Should everybody be able to see the houses that are for sale on the market at any time and have, at least, access to them?' I think most people would say absolutely."It's not quite so cut-and-dried. Opponents of the rule say sellers should be able to market their homes however they see fit, arguing that there are all kinds of reasons someone might not want to list their home on the MLS. And if the goal is a transparent market that prioritizes consumers, the clear-cooperation policy is a flawed tool. It contains a glaring loophole that critics say may have actually pushed more home sales into the shadows.This latest conflict pits Goliath against Goliath, but the stakes are highest for the millions of Davids just trying to put roofs over their heads. The typical buyer wants to see all the homes available, while the typical seller wants a quick sale and a good price. Which kind of housing market will get them there? Both sides claim to know the answer, but their visions for the future of homebuying are miles apart.In the not-so-distant past, MLSes distributed home listings via books — thick, unwieldy tomes that were outdated by the time they made it into a real-estate agent's hands. The introduction of the online MLS around the turn of the century was a revelation, providing a central repository of reliable info on an area's available homes. The system isn't perfect: Access to the MLS is often restricted to licensed agents who pay hundreds of dollars in dues each year to belong to their local, state, and national Realtor associations, on top of MLS fees. Since there are more than 500 local MLSes in the US, an agent might have to pay dues to several of these groups just to see all the homes within an hour's drive of their office. But the databases are still widely considered a model for the rest of the world.While an agent doesn't technically have to participate, the MLS's trove of data is practically a necessity to do the job. And in order to play in the MLS sandbox, you have to follow the MLS rules. About 97% of local MLSes are effectively controlled by the NAR, a trade group with roughly 1.5 million members who pay for the "Realtor" designation and agree to abide by the organization's ethical and professional guidelines. The NAR doesn't own the MLSes directly, but it sets the rules for most of them. Five years ago, the organization's leaders pinpointed a growing problem: Some agents weren't playing fair. They were keeping select listings off the MLS and marketing them on their own websites or among clubby groups of brokers known as private listing networks. The prevalence of so-called pocket listings has always been hard to quantify, but pretty much everyone agrees they were on the rise in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Redfin estimated that in the second quarter of 2019, about 1.7% of listings, or some 18,000 homes, were likely pocketed. Those homes were marked "sold" or "pending sale" the same day they were put in the MLS — a sign that the transaction may have already been wrapped up in private. Agents promoting pocket listings might argue that they were acting in the best interests of their clients; a seller going through a messy divorce, for example, may prefer a quiet sales process rather than the fanfare of a public listing. The MLS also displays information that may not be favorable to a seller. It shows the number of days a home has been on the market and keeps track of price cuts, offering buyers leverage points that would never be found on a listing broker's website. There are, of course, self-serving reasons an agent might prefer to advertise a home off the MLS. If they find an unrepresented buyer, they may be able to pocket the portion of the commission that would have otherwise gone to the buyer's agent, upping their haul from the sale to, say, 6% instead of the typical 3%. Belonging to private listing networks could also help drum up business: Work with me, an agent could tell a buyer, and you'll get access to all these listings that Joe Schmo at XYZ Brokerage doesn't even know about. Indeed, Top Agent Network, a destination for high-achieving brokers to share "not-yet-on-MLS properties" with each other, claims on its website that agents can help buyers find their dream homes "by staying ahead of the market."The whole point of the MLS, though, is to have all listings in one place for everyone to find — the system falls apart if agents get to pick and choose which ones to contribute. The NAR's answer to this chaos was the clear-cooperation policy. The rule, which went into effect in May 2020, tightened the screws on agents by requiring them to put a listing on the MLS within one business day of marketing it to the public. For-sale sign in the front yard? Better get it on the MLS pronto. Gush about it on your Facebook page? Clock's ticking. Teasing homes in a private listing network without also posting on the MLS was a no-go.The idea was that any alternative to the MLS would harm both consumers and their agents. A seller risks getting a lower price if there are fewer eyeballs on their listing. A buyer might know of only a fraction of homes for sale at any time, limiting their options. Agents can't make money off shadow listings that they don't even know about. MLSes are also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bad-real-estate-agents-realtors-homebuyers-sellers-housing-market-2023-7">huge sources of revenue</a> for the many local Realtor associations that own and operate them — the NAR has a direct interest in making sure they remain valuable."Everybody benefits when we all pool our listings, and we do so in a timely manner," Saul Klein, a longtime real-estate executive who's the CEO of the San Diego Multiple Listing Service, told me. "And people are hurt, potentially, when we don't do that."The new rule, however, included a loophole. It allows agents to market a home to other agents within their brokerage without sharing it on the MLS, a practice known as "office exclusives." The carveout effectively allows for private gardens within each brokerage, filled with homes you can't find anywhere else. Large brokerages like Compass, which has more than 30,000 agents across the country, can make a pitch to a seller like this: "We'll maintain your privacy by keeping your home off Zillow and test your chosen price across our huge network. We can limit the showings so you don't have random people traipsing through your home. And if you're not satisfied, we can always turn to the MLS later."Today, many large brokerages tout offerings that attempt to capitalize on this state of play. Compass, for instance, will offer to list your home as a "private exclusive" within its brokerage before launching it to the public. Howard Hanna's "Find It First" program allows sellers to "benefit from broad exposure without compromising on control," the company's CEO, Howard Hanna IV, said in a statement. In a lawsuit after the unveiling of the rule, Top Agent Network accused the NAR of privileging large brokerages (which belong to the association) while stamping out the competition from alternatives to the MLS. It complained that the organization's rule was "a transparent attempt at protecting its turf, not helping consumers."The clear-cooperation rule faded into the background as the pandemic upended the industry. But as the market settled and other big changes, like the class-action lawsuits over agent commissions, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/homebuyers-real-estate-revolution-nar-lawsuits-new-rules-realtors-agents-2024-4">reached a resolution</a>, a group led by Compass' CEO, Robert Reffkin, began publicly pressuring the NAR to reconsider clear cooperation. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/real-housewives-mauricio-umansky-agency-daily-schedule-2022-8">Mauricio Umansky</a>, a celebrity agent and brokerage CEO known for appearing on "Buying Beverly Hills," "Real Housewives," and "Dancing with the Stars," was already part of the opposition to the rule, having sued the NAR over his attempts to start an MLS alternative known as the PLS, or the Property Listing Service. Executives at Anywhere Real Estate, one of the largest brokerage companies in the country, have pushed for the rule to be loosened but not eliminated — one suggestion is to give agents more time to market a home publicly before listing it on the MLS. On the other side, executives at Zillow and Redfin decried the potentially disastrous consequences of a fractured housing market. In a recent op-ed article, Redfin's president and CEO, Glenn Kelman, argued that the end of clear cooperation would allow large brokerages to control more inventory, forcing buyers, sellers, and their agents to flock to big players rather than smaller outfits."The goal in weakening Clear Cooperation is to make being bigger matter — more than being better," Kelman wrote. "That is the law of the jungle, masquerading as freedom."It's not clear, though, that the clear-cooperation rule made things much better for consumers. In a hot market, it's easier for brokers to market a home off the databases and still get it sold. Redfin estimates that in the second quarter of 2021, the share of listings that were likely pocketed increased to 2.8%, or almost 35,000 homes. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/housing-market-ice-age-higher-home-prices-fewer-sales-inventory-2023-5">The market has since slowed</a>, and Redfin's estimation of pocket listings was down to 1.8% of sales in the second quarter of this year, roughly in line with the same period in 2019. These are imperfect estimates; it's possible for a home to debut on the MLS in the morning and have a sale pending by the end of the day without anything unscrupulous happening. They could also be undercounts, since some homes may never be listed in the MLS at all. Ultimately, the data from one of clear cooperation's biggest advocates doesn't prove that the rule has actually reduced off-MLS sales. What has changed since the rule went into effect is brokerages' eagerness to control access to home listings. Home sales volume has plummeted since the heady days of 2021, which means <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/compass-layoffs-robert-reffkin-housing-market-2023-1">less revenue for the businesses that make their money by taking a cut of their agents' sales commissions</a>. Without clear cooperation, brokerages could drive more traffic to their own websites by publicly advertising homes that aren't available in the MLS or on sites like Zillow. And they could continue to tease office exclusives that are accessible only if you work with their agents.Both sides of this debate can reasonably claim that the industry will face legal trouble if they don't get their way. The Department of Justice, which has been fighting to reopen a wide-ranging investigation into the NAR, has signaled that the organization's control of the MLSes could be anticompetitive, stifling the development of alternative databases. What incentive is there for someone to start an MLS rival, the thinking goes, if basically everyone who uses the new database would still have to put their listings on the MLS anyway? On the other hand, proponents of clear cooperation argue that not showing homes to everybody could run afoul of fair-housing laws designed to ensure that buyers have equal access to the market."The fact that every listing is contributed to the MLS and that every consumer has access to that information is an enormous and overwhelming benefit to support fair housing," Victor Lund, a founder and managing partner of Wav Group, a consulting firm for real-estate companies, told me. "There is too much opportunity for housing discrimination without it."There are a lot of ways this could go. The final call will rest in the hands of top leaders at NAR, whose board will likely mull over the issue at its annual convention in the second week of November. It could be months before a decision, however, especially since it's not clear what kinds of actions the DOJ may take against the organization. NAR leadership could keep clear cooperation as is, repeal it entirely, or revise it in ways that might not even be obvious right now. Several people I spoke with, including Kelman, told me they'd like to see the office-exclusive loophole closed — no more exceptions for agents marketing homes within their brokerages."If you haven't bought a home yet," Kelman told me, "there is nothing more unsettling than seeing a moving van outside a house that never showed up in any of your searches." An imperfect rule, he argued, is better than no rule. Those in Kelman's camp say a housing market without the current version of the MLS would be more divided and more difficult to parse. At the same time, it's impossible to brush aside the criticisms of the rule. There's no guarantee it will remain as it is when the dust settles.The lawsuits over agent commissions last year were seismic, but they were ultimately about the practical matter of consumers' wallets: how much they were paying agents and what they were getting in return. The debate over clear cooperation strikes me as much more existential. Its result will determine the kind of housing market we have in the future. Buckle up.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/james-rodriguez">James Rodriguez</a> is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Discourse team.

Realtors are fighting over hidden listings. Their battle could make it harder to find a home.

New Delhi: The upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO) of <keyword id="20214518" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motors-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motors India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motors India">Hyundai Motors India</keyword> has sparked significant interest in the Indian markets, but a recent report by <keyword id="20303939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aequitas-Investments" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aequitas Investments" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aequitas Investments">Aequitas Investments</keyword> suggests it may not be as promising for <keyword id="19953411" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-investors" source="keywords">Indian investors</keyword> as anticipated. The report highlighted several concerns, pointing to broader industry challenges and the valuation mismatch as reasons for caution. It said "Given the headwinds that the Global <keyword id="20081560" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="automobile-industry" source="keywords">Automobile Industry</keyword> is facing coupled with signs of a slowdown in India, the upcoming IPO might not be a great deal for Indian Investors" Hyundai Motor Company, the parent firm based in South Korea, is set to offload shares worth Rs 25,000 crore through an Offer for Sale (OFS) in the Indian market. However, the report suggested that the current global headwinds facing the automobile industry, combined with signs of a slowdown in India, may make this IPO less attractive for Indian investors. One of the key issues flagged in the report is the valuation of Hyundai Motors India. The report noted that despite contributing only 6.5 per cent of Hyundai's global revenue and 8 per cent of its overall profitability, the Indian unit is expected to be valued at approximately 42 per cent of the parent company's market capitalization upon listing. This valuation discrepancy raises concerns about whether the IPO price is justified given the Indian unit's relatively modest contribution to Hyundai's global business. "Despite contributing only 6.5 per cent of the global revenues and 8 per cent of the profitability, Hyundai's India unit will be valued at approx. 42 per cent of the Parent Co.'s MCap on listing" the report added. From Hyundai's perspective, the move makes sense. In South Korea, Hyundai's stock currently trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of just 5x, making the sale in India potentially more lucrative. The report argues that Hyundai is looking to take advantage of the relatively higher valuations in India. It said "From Hyundai's perspective it's a no-brainer as their stock in S.Korea trades at a measly 5x P/E" Hyundai Motor Group, which includes both Hyundai and Kia, is the third-largest automaker globally, having sold 7.3 million vehicles in 2023. While Hyundai Motors India does not have a stake in Kia Motors India, the parent company owns a controlling 34 per cent stake in Kia Motors globally and fully owns Genesis Motors, a luxury brand in South Korea.

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