New Delhi: The Adani Group has decided to halt some of its proposed investments, especially those without funding commitments, Mint reported, citing people familiar with the matter.The newspaper reported that the company is going to focus on the projects which have already started.The group has cut its growth target and capital expenditure after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research, in its report, accused the company of accounting fraud, stock manipulation and improper use of offshore entities. Adani has strongly denied the allegations.It also withdrew a Rs 20,000-crore share sale, which was fully subscribed.The research firm said that four of the Adani firms – Adani Green Energy, Adani Total Gas, Adani Transmission and Adani Enterprises – have negative free cash flows.Negative free cash flow means that a business has more outgoing money than incoming, and that sales alone cannot cover the expenses. So, the business needs money from investments and financing to make up the difference. Following the Hindenburg report, Adani Group faced a stock rout which halved the company’s market valuation. And the company started prepaying share-backed loans, possibly, to regain investors’ confidence.Meanwhile, it’s halting some proposed investments and acquisitions.For instance, Adani Power called off the acquisition of DB Power for around Rs 7,000 crore after missing the latest deadline to complete the transaction, the Financial Times reported on February 16.The conglomerate, in its quarterly earnings calls, had said that it would scale back capital expenditure and won’t make any new commitments till the volatility period settles.Among the projects the group has decided to delay are under Adani New Industries Ltd, Mint reported.Also read: Adani Group Does Not Own Ambuja Cements and ACC; Ultimate Beneficiary Is Vinod Adani: ReportThis comes after TotalEnergies put a hold on its $50-billion hydrogen project investment in Adani Group after Hindenburg Research released its report. The French oil giant was expected to buy a 25% stake in Adani New Industries Ltd for $50 billion (around Rs 4.1 lakh crore) to be invested for over 10 years.“It makes no sense to add more (projects) until there is clarity. Adani has to explain the allegations [by Hindenburg Research],” chief executive of the French oil giant Patrick Pouyanne said, the Hindu Businessline reported.Separately, the Financial Times reported that Adani Group halted the $847 million (approximately Rs 7,000 crore) acquisition of a coal-fired power station in India.The report added that it’s a sign that the billionaire’s business empire is slowing down spending following a short seller attack.Adani Group had in August last year agreed to buy DB Power, and its parent company Diliigent Power Ltd.Diliigent Power has set up a coal-fired power plant in Chhattisgarh, through DB Power, which is a special purpose vehicle. Diliigent’s owners also run newspaper business, the Bhaskar Group.Meanwhile, Adani Group has been prepaying some loans in the form of share-backed pledges, commercial papers, etc.The company prepaid loans worth $1.11 billion (approximately Rs 9,200 crore) on February 6, thus releasing pledged shares ahead of their maturity of September 2024.It also repaid a part of its commercial papers from some domestic mutual funds ahead of their maturity, the Morning Context reported. Commercial papers are unsecured, short-term debt instruments issued by companies to finance short-term liabilities.The move is, however, one of the ways to convey that all is well in the company. Otherwise, buying back CPs doesn’t make much sense, an executive at a fund house with exposure to Adani Group’s CPs told the Morning Context.On March 13, Monday, out of the seven Adani stocks, three were in the red.Adani Enterprises was down by 1.20%, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone by 2.42%, and Adani Wilmar 3.95% on the BSE. Adani Transmission was up by 5%, Adani Power 4.99%, Adani Green 5%, and Adani Total Gas 5%.Sensex was down 1.52% to close at 58,237.85, while Nifty50 was down 1.49% to close at 17,154.30.