Muddy Waters’ Block shorts StanChart debt

Carson Block, founder of research firm Muddy Waters, is shorting Standard Chartered’s debt due to its exposure to loans linked to China and Indonesia, he told the audience at the SkyBridge Alternatives Conference in Las Vegas on May 10. But while analysts conceded that Standard Chartered’s strong presence in these geographies did expose the bank to higher-risk clients, they have played down Block’s comments.