Core Viewpoint - State Bank of India (SBI) has experienced a significant re-rating, with its price-to-book (P/B) multiple rising to 2.41, reflecting improved fundamentals and strong earnings visibility, positioning it favorably among public sector banks [1][10]. Valuation Metrics - SBI's current P/B multiple of 2.41 is lower than HDFC Bank's 2.69 and ICICI Bank's 2.92, indicating a valuation gap despite comparable return ratios [1][10]. - A year ago, SBI's P/B stood at 1.35, showcasing a substantial increase in valuation over the past year [10]. Earnings Performance - SBI reported a 24% year-on-year growth in standalone net profit, amounting to Rs 21,028 crore in the third quarter, while net interest income (NII) increased by 9% year-on-year to Rs 45,190 crore [12][16]. - The bank's return on equity (ROE) is projected at 16-17%, and return on assets (ROA) is above 1%, both of which are higher than SBI's historical averages [5][12]. Market Position - SBI has recently surpassed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to become India's fourth-largest company by market capitalization, with a valuation exceeding Rs 11 lakh crore [6]. - Within the Nifty Bank index, SBI has outperformed most large-cap peers, with only AU Small Finance Bank and Canara Bank delivering higher one-year returns [8][16]. Analyst Insights - Kranthi Bathini from WealthMills Securities considers SBI fairly valued and a preferred pick in the PSU banking space, expecting continued investor interest in government-owned banks [2][11]. - Abhinav Tiwari from Bonanza highlights SBI's favorable near-term risk-reward profile, citing its valuation comfort and earnings visibility as key factors [4][12]. - Dr. Ravi Singh from Master Capital Services notes that while SBI is no longer deeply undervalued, it is trading above long-term averages, with future returns likely driven by stronger ROE rather than further multiple expansion [9][16]. Growth Outlook - Analysts expect a potential upside of 10-20% for SBI over the next 12 months, with gradual price growth anticipated rather than sharp increases [11][16]. - Loan growth guidance for SBI is set at 13-15% on a substantial Rs 38 lakh crore book, indicating strong earnings visibility moving forward [5][12].

Core Viewpoint - The power sector is experiencing growth due to expectations of sustained demand momentum, contributing to a rebound in equity benchmark indices [5]. Group 1: Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by nearly 1 percent, with the BSE Sensex rising 650.39 points (0.79 percent) to close at 83,277.15 and the NSE Nifty advancing 211.65 points (0.83 percent) to settle at 25,682.75 [3]. - PowerGrid emerged as the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 4.45 percent, alongside strong performances from HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, and others [4]. Group 2: Analyst Insights - Analysts noted that domestic markets edged higher due to renewed buying interest in banking and power stocks, with improved loan growth and stable asset quality boosting confidence in banks [5]. - The power sector's gains are attributed to expectations of sustained demand momentum, indicating a positive outlook for the industry [5]. Group 3: Global Market Influences - A decline in the US 10-year yield, following benign inflation data, has strengthened expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut, which is influencing investor sentiment [7]. - Stability in the rupee and range-bound crude oil prices are providing additional support to domestic equities, particularly ahead of US-Iran talks [7]. Group 4: Institutional Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth Rs 7,395.41 crore, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth Rs 5,553.96 crore, indicating a mixed sentiment in the market [9].

Market Performance - Equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded sharply by nearly 1% on February 16, 2026, driven by strong buying in power, banking, and financial stocks [1] - The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 650.39 points, or 0.79%, closing at 83,277.15 [1] - The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 211.65 points, or 0.83%, settling at 25,682.75 [2] Sector Performance - PowerGrid emerged as the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rising 4.45%, with other notable gainers including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, NTPC, ITC, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Bharti Airtel, Adani Ports, Tata Steel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Reliance Industries, and State Bank of India [2] - The power sector gained on expectations of sustained demand momentum, while improved loan growth and stable asset quality bolstered confidence in banks [4] Global Market Influence - A continued decline in the U.S. 10-year yield, following benign inflation data, strengthened expectations of a Fed rate cut later this year, influencing investor sentiment [5] - Stability in the rupee and range-bound crude oil prices ahead of U.S.-Iran talks provided additional support to domestic equities [5] Investor Activity - Foreign institutional investors sold equities worth ₹7,395.41 crore on February 14, 2026, while domestic institutional investors purchased stocks worth ₹5,553.96 crore [7]

Core Insights - The report indicates a significant increase in mutual fund allocations to Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks, reaching a three-year high of 3.7% in January 2026, up 30 basis points from 3.4% in the previous months [10][11] - Private banks also saw their weight rise to an eight-month high of 18.2% in January 2026, reflecting a monthly increase of 60 basis points and a yearly increase of 110 basis points [10][12] - The report highlights that State Bank of India (SBI) was among the top stocks with the highest month-on-month value increase, with a rise of Rs 96.6 billion [7][12] Mutual Fund Activity - In January 2026, various mutual funds showed divergent interests in SBI, with 15 funds buying and 5 funds selling the stock [11][12] - SBI Mutual Fund purchased 62.47 lakh shares of SBI, while HDFC Mutual Fund sold 35.96 lakh shares during the same period [8][12] - The report notes that several mutual funds, including Axis Mutual Fund and Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund, also increased their holdings in SBI [8][12] Sector Performance - The allocation in the BSE 200 index was reported at 4.1%, with several fund houses exceeding this allocation [11] - The top 10 stocks that experienced the maximum rise in value included SBI, Axis Bank, and ICICI Bank, indicating strong performance in the banking sector [7][12] - Mutual funds showed increased interest in sectors such as Utilities, Technology, Capital Goods, Metals, and Cement, while sectors like Consumer, Oil & Gas, and Healthcare saw a decrease in weights [10][12] ETF and Index Fund Performance - The DSP Nifty PSU Bank ETF and Mirae Asset Nifty PSU Bank ETF reported the highest returns of 30.61% in the last six months, while the SBI BSE PSU Bank Index Fund gained 28.09% [9][12] - The NIFTY PSU BANK - TRI index increased by 30.71% over the same period, reflecting strong performance in the PSU banking sector [9][12]

Nifty Bank index began today’s session with a gap-down at 59,948 versus yesterday’s close of 60,187. But it recovered soon after opening and is now hovering around 60,400, up 0.4 per cent.The advance-decline ratio stands at 6-8, showing a slight bearish bias. HDFC Bank (up 2.1 per cent) is the top gainer followed by Axis Bank (up 1.3 per cent).On the other hand, Union Bank of India (down 0.9 per cent) and State Bank of India (down 0.8 per cent) are the top losers.Nifty Private Bank has gained nearly 0.6 per ...

Market Overview - Indian stocks opened lower but quickly trimmed losses in morning trading, indicating a cautious market mood [1] - The BSE Sensex index rose to 82,802, gaining 175 points or 0.21% at 10 AM [2] - The NSE Nifty50 increased to 25,523, up by 51 points or 0.2% [2] Top Gainers and Losers - Top gainers in the Sensex included Power Grid, HDFC Bank, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Kotak Bank, Bajaj Finserv, HCL Tech, ITC, and Axis Bank [2] - Top losers were Infosys, Adani Ports, Titan, HUL, SBI, Tech Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, and ICICI Bank [2] Sector Performance - The Nifty MidCap and Nifty SmallCap indices were down 0.06% each, indicating a slight decline in broader market segments [3] - The Nifty Pharma index gained 1%, reflecting positive performance in the pharmaceutical sector [3] - The Nifty Auto index added 0.06%, showing modest gains in the automotive sector [3] - The Nifty IT and PSU Bank indices both slipped by 0.4%, indicating challenges in these sectors [3]

Core Insights - The banking hiring cycle in India is experiencing a resurgence, with top engineering and business schools seeing increased recruitment activity from private lenders and foreign banks [1][2] Group 1: Recruitment Trends - Major banks such as ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HSBC India, and Citibank are actively recruiting from campuses, indicating a return to robust hiring practices [2][5] - The hiring landscape has shifted from the previous year, where hiring slowed due to high dependency on contract employees and reduced attrition rates [3] - Financial firms are focusing on long-term competitiveness and digital capabilities rather than merely filling vacancies [4] Group 2: Credit Growth and Hiring Needs - Bank credit growth reached 14.6% at the end of January, up from 11.4% a year ago, signaling a recovery in corporate credit demand and a need for more hires across various teams [5] - The financial sector is seeing a significant increase in student placements in finance, with over 21% of the 2026 batch securing roles in this area, compared to 14.5% in 2025 and 19% in 2024 [6] Group 3: Focus Areas for Recruitment - Recruitment is heavily concentrated in three key areas: global capability centers, investment and wealth management, and technology-led banking [7][8][13] - Global capability centers are being scaled for operations, compliance, and risk analytics, while investment and wealth management roles are expanding due to a growing equity savings culture in India [8] Group 4: Technology Integration - Banks are increasingly hiring engineers to support digital transformation and build new customer engagement architectures, reflecting a shift towards technology-led banking [13][14] - HSBC reported a fivefold increase in engineering hires over the past two years, emphasizing the importance of technology talent in their strategic shift [16] Group 5: Fresh Talent and Attrition - The influx of fresh talent is partly due to high attrition rates at entry-level positions, necessitating ongoing recruitment of new graduates [17]

Market Overview - The BSE Sensex traded over 400 points lower, reaching a low of 83,817, while the Nifty 50 fell over 100 points, slipping below the 25,850 mark [1][11] - A sharp selloff in IT stocks weighed on market sentiment, with Infosys, Eternal, and Titan Company being the top drags, falling between 2-4% [11] - Marginal gains were observed in ICICI Bank, Power Grid, and Tata Steel, rising up to 1% [11] Economic Indicators - The latest U.S. jobs data showed the addition of 130,000 jobs and a decline in unemployment to 4.3%, suggesting the Federal Reserve may refrain from rate cuts in the near term [11] - In India, the rate-cutting cycle appears largely over, with steady growth and inflation expected to gradually return to the RBI's long-term target by the end of FY27 [11] Sector Performance - Market support is likely to come from earnings growth, particularly in sectors such as automobiles, jewellery, hotels, select capital goods, telecom, and financials, which are showing strong performance [12] - Tech stocks are under pressure, particularly following the Anthropic-led disruption, and may take longer to recover [12] - A rotation of funds from IT to better-performing segments could support stocks in sectors driven by stronger earnings [12] Foreign Investment - Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net bought shares worth ₹944 crore on February 11, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers of ₹125.36 crore [5][12] Global Market Trends - U.S. markets ended marginally lower after a choppy session, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping more than 66 points (0.1%) and the Nasdaq Composite falling about 0.2% [6][12] - In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 briefly crossed the 58,000 mark for the first time, while South Korea's Kospi surged as much as 2.1% to a record high of 5,466.9 [7][12] - Other Asian markets showed resilience despite weaker cues from Wall Street, with Singapore's benchmark index crossing the 5,000 level for the first time [7][12] Commodity Prices - Oil prices edged higher due to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with Brent crude futures rising 34 cents (0.49%) to $69.74 per barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gaining 37 cents (0.57%) to $65.00 per barrel [9][12] Currency Exchange - The Indian rupee opened 0.27% higher at 90.4550 per U.S. dollar, compared to its previous close of 90.70 [10][12]

Bank strike: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has informed the stock exchanges that multiple bank unions have called for a strike on 12 February on various issues and demands and notified of potential disruption in services due to it.According to the filing, the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) have jointly called for a countrywide strike on Thursday, 12 February 2026.Will banks across India be closed on 12 Februar ...

Core Insights - Hiring activity in Indian banks has slowed down due to increased adoption of technology, automation, and AI-led efficiencies, reducing the need for incremental headcount additions [7] - HDFC Bank added approximately 5,000 employees in the quarter, bringing its total headcount to around 215,000, while Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank experienced declines in their employee counts [7] - The overall trend indicates a cautious approach to hiring and a shift towards productivity-led growth across the banking sector [7] Group 1: Employment Trends - HDFC Bank's recruitment fell sharply in 2024-25 to 49,713 from 89,115 in 2023-24, with net additions dropping to 994 employees compared to 40,305 in the previous year [7] - Axis Bank's headcount decreased to about 101,000 at the end of December from around 102,000 a year earlier, while Kotak Mahindra Bank's headcount declined to about 112,000 from 114,000 [7] - ICICI Bank's headcount also saw a reduction, declining to 130,957 in 2024-25 from 141,009 a year earlier, with a net reduction of 6,723 employees [7] Group 2: Factors Influencing Hiring - The slowdown in hiring is attributed to digitisation and productivity gains, leading to more efficient headcount utilisation [5][6] - Banks are increasingly relying on digital onboarding, automated credit underwriting, AI-driven customer service, and centralised operations, which reduces the need for large frontline and back-office teams [5] - Hiring is becoming more selective, focusing on technology, risk, analytics, and compliance rather than bulk onboarding [6]