SBI stock basking in optimism; stakes too high to disappoint investors

Optimism on the stock is highest in 15 years; easing of corporate sector stress in Q3 gave the much-needed comfort

In an environment where investors aren’t preferring to own state-owned entities, including banks, the stock of State Bank of India stands out as a stark exception. Not only is it analysts’ most preferred public sector bank (PSB), but it is also turning out to be the most-owned PSB as well. In fact, with 51 out of 54 analysts polled on Bloomberg recommending ‘buy’ (or 94 per cent of analysts polled), bets on the bank is higher than what it enjoyed in 2005, when 92 per cent of analysts tracking the stock were positive on it. In other words, SBI stock