HDFC Bank remains fundamentally strong with good financial performance despite governance concerns, says an expert. Investors have reportedly moved past the issues, backed by reassurance from the RBI and the bank's strong board and management.
Expert Backs Bank's Fundamentals Amid Governance Issues
HDFC Bank continues to maintain strong financial performance and market leadership despite governance-related concerns raised in recent months, and investors appear to have largely moved past the episode following repeated reassurance from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), according to Shriram Subramanian, Founder and Managing Director of InGovern Research Services.
Speaking to ANI, Subramanian said the bank remains fundamentally strong, supported by a robust board and management team. "HDFC Bank has a solid set of Directors and a strong management team. The financial performance of the bank continues to be good, and it continues to be a leader in market share," he said.
Subramanian noted that the governance concerns surrounding the lender were linked to the resignation of former chairman Atanu Chakraborty and not to any broader concerns regarding the bank's operations or financial strength. "The governance concerns were specific to the resignation of the chairman who did not attribute any reasons whatsoever," he said.
He added that HDFC Bank's decision to appoint an independent external law firm to examine the circumstances surrounding the resignation should help address investor concerns. "The bank has commissioned an external law firm to investigate the issues that led to the resignation of the chairman and the report should assuage investors," Subramanian said.
Subramanian also pointed to the RBI's stance on the matter. "The RBI has repeatedly said that there are no concerns regarding the financials or the strength of the bank. Hence, investors have disregarded the chairman's resignation and moved on from the episode," he added.
HDFC Bank is attracting attention for both its business prospects and governance developments.
Other Governance Developments
HDFC Bank also remained in focus due to a series of governance-related developments. One of the major flashpoints was the Lilavati Trust matter, in which allegations were levelled against Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Sashidhar Jagdishan. However, the Bombay High Court in May quashed the FIR against Jagdishan, observing that the complaint was linked to the bank's recovery efforts, described the case as an abuse of the legal process.
Brokerages Bullish on Business Prospects
Recently, brokerage firm Jefferies said HDFC Bank could emerge as one of the key beneficiaries of the Reserve Bank of India's latest measures aimed at attracting foreign currency inflows.
Drawing parallels with the FCNR(B) scheme launched in 2013, the brokerage noted that HDFC Bank was the largest mobiliser under the earlier programme, raising USD 3.4 billion. Jefferies said the mobilisation under the 2013 scheme helped banks gain access to larger pools of funds and supported growth and margins.
The brokerage believes HDFC Bank's strong track record in mobilising foreign currency deposits positions it favourably to benefit from the RBI's latest FCNR(B) measures as well. It also noted that the current framework is more liberal than the 2013 scheme, with exemptions from Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirements and RBI support on hedging costs for eligible deposits.
Separately, Axis Direct has also maintained a positive outlook on HDFC Bank, citing growth opportunities across both corporate and retail businesses. The brokerage said corporate growth remains supported by demand from sectors such as electronics, food processing, renewable energy and semiconductors, while retail growth is being driven by vehicle loans, personal loans and resilient mortgage demand. Axis Direct has set a target price of Rs 975 per share to the stock.
Interim Chairman of the bank Keki Mistry has also assured investors that the bank's governance standards, controls and risk-management framework remained intact and that the institution continued to operate with strong governance practices. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)