Axis Bank: What should investors do with this counter post robust q4 earnings? Here is what brokerages suggest

Axis Bank on Thursday reported a 53.8% year-on year (YoY) rise in the consolidated profit at Rs 4,117.8 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 as against Rs 2,677.1 crore posted in the corresponding quarter the previous year.  

The net interest margin (NIM) saw slight improvement as well at 3.49% in Q4FY22 against 3.4% posted in Q3FY22. The private lender has shown better improvement in terms of asset quality as its gross non-performing assets (NPA) reduced to 2.81% in Q4FY22 against 3.17% posted in the December 2021 quarter. Similarly, the Net NPA dropped to 0.73% against 0.91% posted in Q3FY22.  

Brokerages remain bullish on this private sector bank over good numbers and believe asset quality trends of Axis Bank are encouraging. Three brokerage houses—Yes Securities, ICICI Securities and Kotak Securities have maintained buy call on the private lender's share.  

Yes Securities 

Yes Securities reiterated buy rating with a revised price target of Rs 1,050, which translates into potential upside of 35% on Thursday closing price of Rs 780 a share.  

"Mitigating aspects related to gross slippages, healthy recoveries and upgrades and limited restructured book make for a better asset quality picture than seems optically. Structural positive factors remain in place for NIM expansion going forward," it said. While corporate loan growth has been sluggish, other segments have more than picked up the slack, the brokerage highlighted.   

ICICI Securities 

Saying Asset quality trends are encouraging, it is of the view that NIM expansion would be key to drive RoEs further up. It maintained a buy rating with an unchanged target price of Rs1,050 too.  

"With cost to assets remaining elevated at 2.3% and continued investment in growth and franchise build-up, management refrained from reiterating its earlier guidance of cost/asset ratio of 2.2% by the exit quarter of FY23,"it said.  

Kotak Securities 

This brokerage see the performance of Axis Bank similar to its larger peers but believes that integration of Citi’s book would be a key monitorable going forward.  

"Gross and net NPL ratios are at a six-year low. RoA at 1.4% and RoE at ~15% suggest that asset quality is no longer a concern for the bank," it said.  

The brokerage firm too maintained buy call. It sees the stock hitting a target price of Rs 960 in one year.  

Meanwhile, shares of Axis Bank dropped over 5% in the morning trade on the BSE to Rs 740 apiece at 10.30 am on Friday.  

LKP Securities

LKP Securities recomended a buy with target price of Rs 960 in 12 months.

The future outlook of asset quality is at a manageable level as the strong standard asset coverage (1.8% of gross loans) is likely to absorb delinquencies from restructuring, it said. "In view of adequate covid buffer, glimpse of growth rejuvenation and manageable restructuring pool, we recommend BUY," said the brokerage. 

Sharekhan

Highlighting that asset quality of the private lender has improved, it said higher opex dented operating profit

"The stock trades at 1.8x/1.6x its FY2023E and FY2024E core ABV. We maintain a Buy rating on the stock with an unchanged price target of Rs. 940," said the brokerage firm.