The pledging of shares by promoters of NSE-listed companies hit a seven-year high in the quarter ended December as the equity markets tumbled in 2015, data from PRIME Database show. Promoter share pledging increased 14% in the last quarter of calendar year 2015, with the value of pledged shares going up to Rs 2.03 lakh crore as on December 31, compared with 1.78 lakh crore on September 30. The percentage of promoter holding pledged rose from 43.92% a year ago to 46.35% on December 31.

Shares of as many as 517 of the 1,506 NSE-listed companies were pledged as on December 31, up from 370 companies six years ago.