An activist short-seller is making a name for itself by taking on Carl Ichan, Gautam Adani and others

cnbc.com:

Hindenburg Research has established itself as one of the most powerful voices in public activist short-selling, hammering the share prices of multiple big name companies in recent years with its blockbuster reports.

The New York-based activist short-seller, founded by Nate Anderson, has also developed a reputation for its fearlessness, having gone after billionaires like Carl Icahn and Gautam Adani, along with regularly launching big public short bets and serious allegations despite the potential minefield of litigation.

Short selling is the practice of borrowing an asset and selling it on in the hope of buying it back at a lower price, thereby pocketing the difference and profiting from the decline of the asset's value.

In Hindenburg's case, this is usually the shares of companies it deems to be houses of cards, or in the company's words: «Popping bubbles where we see them.»

«With a knack for targeting high-profile companies, Hindenburg's capacity to consistently produce high-quality, influential research stands in contrast to the, often ridiculously, demanding landscape for short-sellers,» Ivan Cosovic, managing director of data group Breakout Point, told CNBC via email.

Hindenburg has been a standout performer among short sellers over the past few years, according to Breakout Point's data, regularly leading or appearing near the top of the firm's annual list of notable achievers.

Cosovic highlighted the «particularly remarkable» number of high-performing short calls the firm puts out annually. Hindenburg's 10 targets in 2022 experienced an average share price decline of 42%, while its seven targets in 2023 notched an average plunge of 36%, it said.

In the first quarter of 2024, Hindenburg boasted two shorts among the