Carlyle Cashes Out: CA Basque Offloads Yes Bank Stake as Global Investors Reshuffle the Deck

Image Source: The Economic Times, EquityMaster

In a significant move shaking up Yes Bank’s shareholding structure, global private equity major Carlyle Group, via its affiliate CA Basque Investments, has sold a 2.62% stake in Yes Bank Limited through open market transactions. The sale, amounting to 82 crore shares, fetched approximately ₹1,775 crore, with shares changing hands at prices between ₹21.61 and ₹21.68 apiece.

This transaction reduces CA Basque Investments’ holding in Yes Bank from 6.84% to 4.22%, marking a notable exit by one of the bank’s prominent foreign investors. The buyers of these shares have not been disclosed by the exchanges.

Key Highlights

Carlyle’s CA Basque Investments sold 82 crore shares, representing a 2.62% stake in Yes Bank, for ₹1,775 crore via bulk deals on NSE and BSE.
The sale price per share ranged between ₹21.61 and ₹21.68.
Post-transaction, Carlyle’s stake in Yes Bank fell from 6.84% to 4.22%.
The block deal triggered a sharp 10% decline in Yes Bank’s share price, which closed at ₹20.85 on BSE and ₹20.95 on NSE on June 3, 2025.
The development follows last month’s announcement that State Bank of India (SBI) and seven other lenders will sell a combined 20% stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for ₹13,483 crore, marking the largest cross-border investment in India’s banking sector.
After the SMBC deal, SBI’s stake in Yes Bank will reduce from 24% to just over 10%.
Yes Bank’s recent financials show robust growth, with Q4 FY25 net profit surging 63% year-on-year to ₹738 crore, and FY25 profits doubling to ₹2,406 crore.
The sale comes as Yes Bank’s board considers additional fundraising plans to further strengthen its capital base.

This series of high-stakes transactions signals a new era for Yes Bank, with global players like SMBC poised to become the largest shareholder and strategic partner, while legacy investors like Carlyle partially exit after supporting the bank’s turnaround since the 2020 reconstruction.

Source: Outlook Business, Rediff Money, The Week, NDTV Profit