Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Of the 17,350 ATM contracts currently in the request-for-proposal (RFP) stage across banks, about 7,800 are structured around fixed payment models, underscoring the industry's pivot towards cost stability and long-term service alignment."Most of the contracts now being awarded are on fixed-price models, as banks have realised that if they want assured quality, consistency, and clearly defined outcomes from their partners, a fixed-fee structure works far better than a transact ...

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].

Earnings Season Overview - The earnings season has shown improvement, with a balanced beat-miss ratio of 34% of companies beating profit estimates and 32% missing, indicating a recovery trend after Q2 [12] - The MOFSL universe reported a 16% year-on-year profit growth in Q3FY26, slightly above the 14% estimate [12] Earnings Growth Projections - Nifty earnings are expected to grow approximately 12% annually over FY25-27, with current valuations at around 20.4 times one-year forward earnings, suggesting limited downside if earnings hold [2][12] - Mid and small-cap companies are projected to deliver stronger earnings growth in FY27 compared to large-caps, although broader market valuations are considered stretched [8][12] Key Investment Ideas - In financials, State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank are highlighted as key picks, with SBI trading at about 12 times FY26 estimated earnings and expected return on equity of 16-18% over FY26-28 [5][12] - ICICI Bank is noted for consistent asset quality improvement, trading at about 20 times FY26 earnings [5][12] - In capital goods, Larsen & Toubro is favored due to a strong order book and expected earnings growth over FY25-27 [6][12] - Bharti Airtel is preferred in telecom, benefiting from tariff hikes and rising data consumption, trading at around 31 times FY27 earnings [6][12] - Mahindra & Mahindra is backed by strong SUV demand and farm equipment recovery, with earnings expected to compound at over 20% over the next two years [7][12] - Infosys remains a top idea in technology despite near-term uncertainties, with ongoing disruptions in IT services being a key monitorable [7][12] Sectoral Insights - Financials, Metals, and Automobiles are anticipated to be key earnings drivers in FY27, potentially contributing nearly two-thirds of incremental profit growth [11][12] - The brokerage emphasizes the importance of decisive policy steps and improving global trade visibility to stabilize foreign investor flows [11][12]

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]

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]

Data from the Reserve Bank of India showed aggregate deposits grew 10.2% in the financial year to Jan 31, with banks adding Rs 23 lakh crore. Credit expanded faster, rising 12.2% or Rs 22.3 lakh crore over the same period. In the year-ago period, deposits had grown 8.1% and credit 8.7%.On a year-on-year basis, credit growth accelerated to 19-month high of 14.6% as of end-Jan 2026, compared with 11.4% a year earlier, while deposit growth improved to 12.5% from 10.3%. The sustained gap underscores that credit ...

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 Valuation Decline - The combined market valuation of six of the top 10 valued firms decreased by more than ₹3 lakh crore last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys being the largest contributors to this decline [1] - The BSE benchmark index fell by 953.64 points, or 1.14 percent, over the past week [1] Major Firms Affected - TCS's market valuation dropped by ₹90,198.92 crore to ₹9,74,043.43 crore, while Infosys's valuation decreased by ₹70,780.23 crore to ₹5,55,287.72 crore [2] - HDFC Bank's market valuation fell by ₹54,627.71 crore to ₹13,93,621.92 crore, and Reliance Industries' valuation declined by ₹41,883 crore to ₹19,21,475.79 crore [3] - Life Insurance Corporation of India's market capitalization decreased by ₹23,971.74 crore to ₹5,46,226.80 crore, and Bharti Airtel's valuation dropped by ₹19,244.61 crore to ₹11,43,044.03 crore [3] Firms with Increased Valuation - State Bank of India's market capitalization increased by ₹1,22,213.38 crore to ₹11,06,566.44 crore [3] - Bajaj Finance's market capitalization rose by ₹26,414.44 crore to ₹6,37,244.64 crore, and Larsen & Toubro's valuation increased by ₹14,483.9 crore to ₹5,74,028.93 crore [4] - ICICI Bank's market capitalization grew by ₹5,719.95 crore to ₹10,11,978.77 crore [5] Ranking of Valued Firms - Reliance Industries remains the most valued firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, Infosys, and Life Insurance Corporation of India [5]

Market Overview - Indian benchmark indices experienced declines, with Nifty closing at 25,807.20, down 146.65 points or 0.57%, and BSE Sensex falling by 558.72 points or 0.66% to 83,674.92, primarily due to heavy selling in IT stocks [13] - The volatility gauge India VIX ended at 11.73, down 1.53% from the last closing [13] Analyst Insights - Ajit Mishra from Religare Broking noted that market sentiment weakened due to significant selling in IT stocks and mixed global developments, with strong U.S. jobs data reducing expectations for imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts [2][13] - Mishra suggested that the downside risk may be limited due to strength in other sectors, with Nifty expected to hold the 25,600–25,700 zone, while the 26,000 level remains a key resistance [2][13] Technical Analysis - Bajaj Broking indicated that the index formed a bearish candle, signaling profit booking at higher levels around 26,000, and stock-specific movements are likely to remain in focus as the quarterly earnings season concludes [9][10] - The index is projected to consolidate in the range of 25,500-26,000, with a move above 26,000 potentially opening up upside towards the 26,200–26,300 resistance area [10][14] Stock Activity - Among the most active stocks by turnover were State Bank of India (SBI, Rs 842 crore), Bajaj Finance (Rs 434 crore), and ICICI Bank (Rs 357 crore) [14] - In terms of volume, Vodafone Idea (4.17 crore shares), SpiceJet (1.24 crore shares), and SBI (70.64 lakh shares) were among the most actively traded stocks [14] - 140 stocks reached their 52-week highs, while 111 stocks hit their 52-week lows, indicating mixed market performance [14]