J&K Bank tumbles 20% in two days

Shares of Srinagar-based Jammu & Kashmir Bank have crashed nearly 20% this week over questions on its growth outlook. 

At 1217 hours on Friday, shares of the bank were trading at Rs 69.60 per share, down by 6.95%.

On Thursday, brokerage firm Credit Suisse trimmed its outlook on J&K bank to 'neutral' and the shares slumped nearly 18%, its worst decline since February 2015.

On October 10, Chairman Parvez Ahmad of J&K Bank said, “Stability of the bank shall be our focus in the next six quarters. In order to improve the bottom-line growth, we may not book profits, pay dividends or taxes." 

Ahmad added, "There may be no contributions to CSR spending. For the provisioning coverage ratio has to be improved at any cost as it has nosedived from more than 90 pc to merely 50 pc.”

Later on October 12, he said,"Such situation shall soon come under control supporting his belief by citing similar situations during past two and a half decades  in which the bank’s staff showed tremendous skills and commitment to help the Bank sail through turbulent times successfully."

The bank has 9.31% gross bad loans at the end of June 30, 2016 as against against 8.32% in March 2016.