RBI's reprieve to HDFC Bank's digital business lifts stock, shares gain 3% intraday; Brokerages see 50% upside

HDFC Bank shares were up around 3 per cent, intraday on the positive news regarding its digital business. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted all restrictions imposed on this private lender. The shares of the largest Indian private lender were trading at Rs 1,436.7 per share to touch day's high level on the BSE. 

"We wish to inform you that the RBI has lifted the restrictions on the business generating activities planned under the Bank’s Digital 2.0 program. The members of the Board of Directors have taken note of said RBI letter,” HDFC Bank said in an exchange filing on Saturday. 

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Terming this a positive for the bank, most of the brokerages give Buy rating for this stock. Nomura maintains Buy call on HDFC Bank with a target price of Rs 1955 per share. This is a 36 per cent upside from the current levels. The brokerage said that its digital acquisition of customer and wallet share will improve profitability. 

RBI lifting the ban would push the launch of new platforms, Jefferies said. It maintains a Buy with a target price of 2160 per share. This translates into a 50 per cent upside. It states that macro headwinds are at play, but key stock-specific overhand is behind now.

The stock has outperformed the market over the last one week and has gained nearly 8 per cent as compared to a 6 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex.  

In the six-month and 1-year period it has underperformed the 30-share index falling by 7 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. The gains made by Sensex during these periods is 4 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. 

The central bank earlier in December 2020 had directed the private lender to temporarily halt all digital launches as well as new sourcing of credit card customers, following various outages the bank faced due to technical glitches in the past two years.