IndusInd Bank slips 8% in two days on higher slippages in December quarter

IndusInd Bank missed analysts' estimate and reported 33 per cent y-o-y growth in profit after tax at Rs 1,300 crore

Shares of IndusInd Bank slipped 4 per cent to Rs 1,417 on the BSE on Wednesday. The stock has fallen 8 per cent in two days on concerns of higher slippages and slow loan growth in the October-December quarter (Q3FY20). The private sector lender's stock price has tanked 11 per cent from its Tuesday’s intra-day high level of Rs 1,587 on the BSE.

IndusInd Bank reported 33 per cent year on year (YoY) growth in profit after tax at Rs 1,300 crore. Analysts had estimated PAT of around Rs 1,400 crore owing to higher provisions.

The bank’s loan growth moderated to 20 per cent YoY, led by slowdown in the commercial vehicles (CV) and corporate portfolios. Fresh slippages were up to Rs 1,950 crore, resulting in a 4.8 per cent QoQ increase in gross NPA. Net NPA as on Q3FY20 stood at 1.05 per cent as against 0.59 per cent in Q3FY19.

While the operating performance was healthy (net interest income (NII), margins, business growth, particularly deposits/PPoP), higher slippages remain a drag and also a reason for investor caution in a period of management transition.

Analysts at Motilal Oswal Securities expect IndusInd Bank’s loan growth to remain modest due to ongoing slowdown in the CV business and sluggish trends in the corporate portfolio. The bank should continue exhibiting a positive bias on margins due to a higher proportion of the fixed-rate loan book and a moderation in funding costs led by a decline in bulk deposit rates.

The brokerage firm cut its EPS estimates on the stock by 6 per cent/3 per cent for FY20/21 as it slightly raised credit cost estimate to reflect provisioning toward a fraud account and a further improvement in the coverage ratio.

“Despite strong return ratios, IndusInd Bank now trades10 per cent lower than its last 10 year average multiple. This, in our view, is driven by lower comfort over earnings profile. Risk to corporate asset quality and high corporate fee income remains a key challenge to be addressed before multiple re-rates,” analysts at Antique Stock Broking in result review.