Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: HDFC Bank, the country’s largest private lender, has recorded a net profit of Rs 19,221 crore during the fourth quarter of last financial year, up 9.1% from Rs 17,616 crore a year ago, while full-year net profit rose to Rs 74,671 crore from Rs 67,347 crore, an increase of 10.9%. The board recommended a final dividend of Rs 13 per share (Re 1 face value) for FY26, taking the total payout to Rs 15.50 per share.In a post results earnings call, HDFC Bank MD & CEO said that the bank is rooting for interim chairman Keki Mistry to stay on beyond the threemonth period but there are certain processes even before the recommendations can be made to the regulator. Mistry was appointed interim chairman last month in the wake of the sudden resignation of ex-chairman Atanu Chakraborty citing conflicts over values and ethics which were denied by the bank. On misselling, Jagdishan said concerns stem from a “wrong perception”, stressing the bank has had strong guardrails in place since 2015- 16 for selling third-party products. He said these include pre-verification, geotagging and video confirmation to ensure customers understand products and are not coerced, along with clear exclusions that bar sales to certain segments such as marginal borrowers and very senior citizens, adding that the processes are robust and may be disclosed publicly over time. Meanwhile, ICICI Bank full year net profit crossed the Rs 50,000 crore milestone for the first time. The second largest private bank reported anet profit of Rs 13,701.7 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, up 8.5% from Rs 12,629.6 crore in the year-ago period following an improvement in asset quality. The fullyear net profit for FY26 rose 6.2% to Rs 50,146.6 crore from Rs 47,227 crore in FY25. The board has recommended a dividend of Rs 12 per share. The bank reported a net interest income of Rs 22,979.1 crore compared with Rs 21,192.9 crore, a rise of 8.4%. YES Bank reported a net profit of Rs 1,068 crore for the March 2026 quarter, up 44.8% from Rs 738 crore a year earlier, supported by lower credit costs and improved operating performance. For the full year, net profit rose 44.5% to Rs 3,476 crore, while return on assets improved to 0.8% from 0.6% in the previous year. In his maiden earnings call, the bank’s new managing director and CEO Vinay Tonse outlined a strategy focused on profitability, asset quality and disciplined expansion as the bank leverages its improving balance sheet and strategic investment by Japan’s SMBC. Tonse said his initial assessment points to a “strong alignment of purpose across stakeholders” and a bank that has stabilised after a prolonged restructuring phase. “We will build on what is working well, strengthen areas that require more attention and pursue growth that is thoughtful, calibrated and sustainable,” the managing director said.
