Bank stocks grow 8% in December quarter, 2x sensex gain

. Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence show the combined market capitalisation of the top 20 listed banks rose to about Rs 55.7 lakh crore at end-Dec from an estimated Rs 51.5 lakh crore at end-Sept, implying a quarter-on-quarter increase of around 8.2%. This gain exceeded the roughly 4% rise in sensex over the same period, reflecting the banking sector's re-rating driven by improving demand and lending prospects. Seventeen of the top 20 banks posted increases in market capitalisation, with the median g ...