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Investing.com -- Shares of XP Inc. (NASDAQ: NASDAQ:XP) tumbled 4% following allegations from short seller Grizzly Research, which accused the Brazilian fintech company of operating a "Madoff-like Ponzi scheme." The report, which targeted the company’s financial practices, particularly the operations of its fund called GLADIUS FIM CP IE, claimed that XP Inc.’s profits are largely dependent on deceptive financial products sold to retail clients.
Grizzly Research’s report alleges that XP Inc. is engaging in a Ponzi scheme through the sale of Certificado de Operações Estruturadas (COE), which are presented as proprietary trading profits but are, in reality, funds from new premiums paid out as profits. The research suggests that the GLADIUS fund, which returned over 2,419% in the past five years with low volatility, is central to this scheme. Without the profits from GLADIUS and an affiliated fund, COLISEU FIM CP IE, XP would reportedly be unprofitable.
The short seller’s report includes comments from former XP employees and insiders who describe the fund as unsustainable and liken it to a Ponzi scheme, warning that XP could face significant liabilities if COE sales cease. Grizzly Research also pointed out that other Brazilian funds in the same sector only produce average returns, which casts further suspicion on the extraordinary returns reported by GLADIUS.
Furthermore, the absence of leading global liquidity providers, such as Citadel, in the Brazilian market where GLADIUS claims to have found profit opportunities, raises questions about the legitimacy of the fund’s operations. Grizzly Research calls for investors and regulators to demand answers given the reliance of XP Inc. on the returns from these funds and the insider allegations.
The allegations have sparked investor concern, reflected in the decline of XP Inc.’s stock during the trading session. The company has yet to respond to the claims made in the report.
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